Open mike 19/04/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 19th, 2013 - 75 comments
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75 comments on “Open mike 19/04/2013 ”

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  1. veutoviper 1
    19 April 2013 at 7:45 am

    Did I miss something yesterday?

    I realised this morning that I did not read or hear a single item re “PM Key says …..”. This is despite the momentous success of the marriage equality legislation on Tuesday night and the Labour/Green announcement on NZ Power yesterday.

    But then I don’t watch the TV news etc or listen to radio other than RNZ National.

    BUT I get suspicious/nervous when I don’t hear the usual ‘Mr Key says …’ even when he is overseas.

    What was he up to yesterday? Where is he? Is Lord Ashcroft in town? Or Warner Bros? Or CT?

    • Salsy 1.1
      19 April 2013 at 7:53 am

      Key is dog tucker, thats why. The ponce is damaged goods – and the best National can do to try and stop the freefall is to get him out of the spotlight.

      Interstingly, so many here have worried about Key versus Shearer in election debates. But think about Shearer versus Collins or Joyce. The dynamics change…. Sometimes politics is a long and slow game of chess..

    • Red Rosa 1.2
      19 April 2013 at 8:23 am

      Good point. There is something badly wrong for Key not to show, normally he would be all over this. My guess is that the DotCom situation is finally and messily unraveling. It is in court at present, so maybe the truth will out shortly… and the senior Nats know it. But without Key, Joyce et al are totally at sea.

      • karol 1.2.1
        19 April 2013 at 8:33 am

        Yes, very good point. The last seen of Key in the MSM is this:

        Prime Minister John Key faced more questions yesterday over the July 2011 conversation in which he suggested his former childhood acquaintance should apply to become director of the Government Communications Security Bureau. …

        Mr Key was asked to explain to Parliament how he had Mr Fletcher’s telephone number in Australia.

        “No clue . . . I genuinely have no clue. I do not know how I got the number,” he said at first.

        But pressed by Labour’s deputy leader, Grant Robertson, he replied: “I did not, at that point, have Ian Fletcher’s mobile phone number. To the best of my knowledge, I actually rang the directory service to get the Queensland number. I do not actually have his number.”

        The service redirected the call to Mr Fletcher’s mobile, he said.

        Afterwards he said he couldn’t be “100 per cent sure” if he or his secretary rang directory services.

        • ianmac 1.2.1.1
          19 April 2013 at 9:02 am

          I thought that had been further corrected that Directory Service does not give out Mobile numbers?

          • felix 1.2.1.1.1
            20 April 2013 at 9:13 am

            He says he was given a landline number which redirected to Fletcher’s mobile.

            Odd and very detailed recollections from someone who only moments earlier said he genuinely had no clue how he came by Fletcher’s number, and who had previously said he already had Fletcher’s number.

    • karol 1.3
      19 April 2013 at 6:38 pm

      Key popped up on TV3 News tonight to say that the Labour-Green Power policy was barking mad. He was somewhere outdoors in a fairly rural area – looked quite haggard to me, though it might just have been the lighting.

  2. Red Rosa 2
    19 April 2013 at 7:51 am

    Signs that ordinary NZ’ers are waking up to National Party greed and arrogance with that dip in the polls. And emphasized by their hysterical reaction to the power market reforms last evening.

    Ironic to hear the word ‘Stalinist’ trotted out, when Key has proposed extending the powers of his spy agency, the K-GCSB, to become NZ’s Stasi. And retrospectively, of course, to get DotCom at the behest of the Americans.

    A few other choice little items they may be pondering. Like the DoC cuts, then far more govt $’s being dumped into ‘high-end’ tourism. And the boost to subsidies for elite private religious schools, while state schools are struggling. And the attacks on environmental controls, along with the irrigation subsidies. Nice work if you can get it. 99% of NZ’ers can’t.

    We are being asked to ‘trust’ this government on the TPP. This is being conducted in unprecedented secrecy, for the benefit of the US. We have a free trade agreement with China, openly arrived at, and kept our Pharmac too. So what’s with this ‘ally’?

    The slickest PM for a long time is leading NZ up the garden path. And it will take more than bumbling David Shearer to get stuck in, and to motivate those non-voters to do the same.

    • weka 2.1
      19 April 2013 at 8:45 am

      “The slickest PM for a long time is leading NZ up the garden path”

      It’s what’s at the end of that path that worries me.

    • ghostrider888 2.2
      19 April 2013 at 1:44 pm

      Shearer’s deliveries are improving.

  3. vto 3
    19 April 2013 at 8:35 am

    So Pike River Coal (the company) has been found guilty by Judge Farish of causing the deaths of 29 men.

    Did New Zealand hear that? The company caused the deaths of 29 men. The company, of course, is its owners in a wider sense. Chairman John Dow, directors such as Chch man Stuart Natrass, the top managers like Whittall. These men caused the deaths of these men.

    and now that all just gets left to hang ……………………………………

    If this (the mining) was done in a personal capacity the charges would have been against the individuals and there would be consequences. The fact that a limited liability company was used protects these men from their actions….. But this is not what the limited liability company is for. It is to limit capital liability. Yet here it is being relied on for something not originally intended to be lmited i.e. effectively criminal and corporate negligence leading to death.

    Perhaps in light of 29 men being killed it is time to look at a stricter definition of the limited liability company. Limit it to capital only, as originally intended, and any other acts of a non-capital nature by a company are deemed conducted in various of personal capacities.

    If that was implemented what do you think Dow and Nattrass and Whittal have done differently? I suspect shitloads.

    ..

    Further, the Pike River guilty verdict nails home the final nail in the coffin of deregulation and free market forces left to run unhindered.

    Freedom to act in a manner based on the self-inrterest of the individual, as promoted still today by dinosaurs like Joyce and Act, does not serve society. This is now proved beyond doubt.

    29 dead men Joyce, 29 dead men. Caused by your philosophy on how business should work. You are a deadly failure and people should be very aware of trusting your ideas on society lest they end up dead.

    • karol 3.1
      19 April 2013 at 8:44 am

      Thanks for that, vto. Yes, among all the other stuff going on yesterday (especially the power announcement), this was covered in the media, but not as much as it should be.

    • Pascal's bookie 3.2
      19 April 2013 at 9:21 am

      Word v.

      Every word.

    • weka 3.3
      19 April 2013 at 9:28 am

      Corporate manslaughter legislation.

    • DH 3.5
      19 April 2013 at 9:46 am

      We’re seeing a repeat with forestry, they’re just dying one by one so it doesn’t sound so bad each time. Since Helens last post on the subject I’ve read of one death and a serious injury.

      I agree that employers should be held responsible but I do think it’s the job of Govt to make sure these deaths don’t occur in the first place. Pike River should have been a big wake up call and yet the forestry situation shows they’ve learnt nothing or if they have they’ve decided to ignore it.

      • vto 3.5.1
        19 April 2013 at 9:51 am

        I agree DH. Unfortunately this lot of kids in government will not see these things so the only way the change needed to stop men being killed dead is for a new government to come which regards lives as a priority.

        Re Pike River and its directors Nattrass and Dow, manager Whittal and then the government men which changed the health & safety regime such as Bill Birch disgust me. They are pigs of people. Each one of them has at various times issued statements saying they do not accept responsibility, despite enquiries and courts stating time and time again that they and their actions were responsible.

        As I say, Bill Birch, John Dow, Stuart Nattrass, Peter Whittal – pigs of people. The proof is all there.

  4. weka 4
    19 April 2013 at 9:08 am

    Lynn, for the past day or so I’ve been getting lots ‘unresponsive script’ messages (from firefox, mac) when loading ts pages. It seems to happen near the end of the loading time, and it stops me from being able to scroll the page while it is loading.

    Is that likely to be something at your end or mine?

  5. Te Reo Putake 5
    19 April 2013 at 10:05 am

    I see the National party’s stooge in Epsom is going to be appearing in court to face an electoral dodginess charge. Shame it had to be a private prosecution, Banksie, but better than nothing!

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878452

    • Pascal's bookie 5.1
      19 April 2013 at 10:19 am

      He really should release that Police statement he’s been keeping under wraps. Better now than on the stand.

    • yeshe 5.2
      19 April 2013 at 10:20 am

      thx TRP ..you just beat me to it … but if found guilty, does he not have to resign from the house ? and any idea of how long this prosecution might take to be in court ?

      • Te Reo Putake 5.2.1
        19 April 2013 at 10:33 am

        Pascal’s bookie beat both of us to it over on the Roy Morgan post; the house always wins!

        I would expect 2-3 days for the case to be heard, and a reserved decision released a few weeks later. If convicted, I seem to recall that expulsion from the house depends on the gravity of the possible sentence, something like if its potentially jail, then a resignation must follow. So, if its regarded as serious as, say, Philip Field’s offences, then Banks is gone. However, if its on the order of Mallard’s frank and honest exchange of views with Tau Henare, then he may survive.

      • Pascal's bookie 5.2.2
        19 April 2013 at 10:34 am

        Reliable sources report that if he loses he will have to stand down, yes, unless the learned judge decides he deserves to be discharged without conviction.

        • yeshe 5.2.2.1
          19 April 2013 at 10:44 am

          thx .. so does the case come up immediately with this ruling ? many thx to the man who is pursuing this … this could disintegrate the wobbly pack of liars …

  6. johnm 6
    19 April 2013 at 10:38 am

    “The myth
    ‘Strivers versus skivers’ purports to sum up our welfare state, and why, therefore, the benefits system should be reformed.
    “There are two distinct groups of people, one good and one bad; individuals choose to be in one group or the other. ‘Strivers’ work hard and put money into the economy while ‘skivers’ are just lay-abouts who take money out. Claiming benefits traps people in dependency, which is a social evil, passed from one generation to the next. People not in paid work contribute nothing of value to society.”
    The myth divides people against each other and creates a scapegoat. If people are finding life a struggle they can blame the skivers rather than anything else. This story helps to justify what might otherwise be unpopular economic policies, like spending cuts and punitive welfare-to-work policies.”

    ———————————-

    “The division between strivers and skivers is a false one. Increasingly, people are forced to shuttle between spells of unemployment and short-term, low-paid insecure jobs. All but a tiny minority of jobless people are out of work because they are disabled, have caring responsibilities or simply cannot find a job. Much more of the social security budget is used to subsidise low wages than to support jobseekers, and receipt of benefits tends not to cause long-term or intergenerational dependency. Some people’s work is unpaid, but that doesn’t make it any less valuable.

    There is nothing disreputable about being dependent. We are all dependent on others at certain points in our lives – when we are young, sick and old, as well as when we find ourselves without enough to live on. This is a positive, defining characteristic of a flourishing society: that we all depend on and care for one another in different ways, as our needs and resources change over time. We need a benefits system that respects and supports this – not one that fosters division, competition and looking after ‘number one’.”

    http://www.resilience.org/stories/2013-04-18/mythbusters-strivers-versus-skivers

    • Pascal's bookie 8.1
      19 April 2013 at 12:11 pm

      What is the “Official Boston terrorist narrative”?

    • marty mars 8.2
      19 April 2013 at 3:57 pm

      No longer able to effectively trot out the scripted official story that a white right-wing extremist has been apprehended, the perpetrators of the government false flag are now forced to shut down the original plan and formulate an alternative scenario.

      The government now has new “persons of interest” – alternative patsies – and has ordered the corporate media to ignore the Plan A patsy. It has also issued instructions that the suspicious special ops military or private security contractor personnel photographed roaming around after the attack are to be ignored. The fallback plan will now be that the perpetrators are Arab, possibly al-Qaeda or some other shadowy Salafist group.

      Indisputable evidence that the government has conducted a false flag designed to demonize and criminalize its political enemies is now out there for all to see. It is up to the people to act on the indisputable evidence we have provided and bring the real criminals to justice.

      I wonder why the fallback plan was the Arab one. Seems like they should just reissue the first one again but call them a new splinter group rather than go all the way back and then up a new path towards the Arabs. That just doesn’t stack up imo. The “white right-wing extremist” angle was the “original plan” and it is way too early to change it and they wouldn’t, change it that is. These are the Governments “political enemies” remember – they want to get them and smear them and they wouldn’t stop at the first hurdle, they’d keep going until the smear was complete – they couldn’t afford to do anything different – too risky. Also if this was a false flag then they have surrendered just after starting – you don’t put all the effort into a genuine false flag to pull the plug just after zero hour. So I don’t agree with alex that he has forced them to shut down the original plan in fact this makes the water more murky not less which is just what those black ops crew love.

      http://www.infowars.com/government-caught-in-boston-bombing-false-flag-cover-up/

  9. Penny Bright 9
    19 April 2013 at 11:40 am

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10878452

    Graham McCready, Informant for New Zealand Private Prosecution Service Limited, has been successful.

    Judge IG Mill has ordered that the Registrar of the Wellington District Court issue a summons for John Archibald Banks to appear in the Auckland District Court to answer to an indictable charge of knowingly transmitting a false electoral return as a candidate in the Auckland Super City City election in 2010.

    http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/view.php?id=6186600&da=y

    What is this going to do for National’s wafer-thin majority?

    Has Prime Minister John Key stood down John Banks as a Minister yet?

    If not – why not?

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation’ campaigner
    2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate

    • Draco T Bastard 9.1
      19 April 2013 at 12:32 pm

      What is this going to do for National’s wafer-thin majority?

      Absolutely nothing unless the good people of Epson decide to vote in Labour’s candidate.

      • Penny Bright 9.1.1
        19 April 2013 at 11:00 pm

        What happens if there is a by-election in Epsom caused by John Banks leaving Parliament, when a lot of legislation is scraping through 61 votes to 60?

        From the time Banks left Parliament until the time a new MP was elected – wouldn’t that leave National without that pivotal one ACT vote, for legislation which was not supported by the Maori Party – ie: 60 – 60?

        What then?

        Penny Bright

        ‘Anti-corruption / anti-privatisation’ campaigner
        2013 Auckland Mayoral candidate

        PS: Judge Mill’s decision, explaining his reasons for issuing a summons for John Banks to attend the Auckland District Court, for a charge of alleged electoral fraud is available here:

        http://www.dodgyjohnhasgone.com/

        • Draco T Bastard 9.1.1.1
          20 April 2013 at 10:46 am

          What then?

          National won’t even try to pass the real nasty policies for 6 weeks and then the new National MP will vote for it.

          I’ll be happy to see John Banks out of politics but don’t think it will change the government because it won’t. If you want to do that then your best bet would be to get rid of Paula Bennett. IMO, that would return a Labour MP and destroy National’s majority possibly resulting in a snap election.

  10. karol 10
    19 April 2013 at 12:24 pm

    The Ports of Auckland-MUNZ dispute has re-ignited.

    The Maritime Union and the Ports of Auckland are at loggerheads again, with their dispute being escalated straight to the Employment Court.

    The union has accused the port company of not acting in good faith and has cited port actions going as far back as November 2011 when the company began planning to employ contractors rather than union-aligned workers.

  11. veutoviper 11
    19 April 2013 at 12:27 pm

    Things have gone a bit quiet on Key’s proposals to change the GCSB legislation over the last few days, with everything else that has been going on.

    So I am pleased to see an excellent opinion piece has now popped up on the Herald online by Gehan Gunasekara arguing against the proposed changes from the point of view of the dangers of ‘mission creep’ in the proposed new powers. Well worth reading.

    Gehan Gunasekara is an associate professor in commercial law at the University of Auckland Business School, specialising in information privacy law.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=10878343

    • Murray Olsen 11.1
      20 April 2013 at 2:05 am

      This reminds me of an interview I read with an Admiral who had been part of the Brazilian military junta. He was asked why they never formally legalised torture. His reply was that they didn’t need to, because they knew that the cops and the intelligence guys would always go 50% past what was authorised. I suspect this is a pretty general rule, and it makes me wonder just how much further the K-GCSB will actually go.

  12. vto 12
    19 April 2013 at 1:14 pm

    In Christchurch you may recall there has been a precedent setting case between the O’Loughlins and the insurance company Tower.

    The Oloughlins had a house that needed repairs only. The govt came along and zoned it Red which meant that they had to move and live elsewhere. They claimed that the insurance company needed to pay for full replacement rather than just repair because their house a write-off due to the earthquakes and their effect.

    Tower claimed it had to only pay the cost of repair.

    No resolution so off to court they want – all very high profile.

    So, it turns out today that the parties have reached a settlement. A confidential settlement. This case was due to set a precedent in Chch with disputes with insrurance companies and now we will never know whether the insurance company was on the ropes.

    If Tower assessed they were about to lose the case then it is in their very high interest to settle confidentially and out of court so that every other disputant in town does not latch onto the same or similar precedent.

    Sneaky-arsed insurance companies – don’t want their customers to know what their true rights are.

    The wearying war continues.

  13. Draco T Bastard 13
    19 April 2013 at 1:46 pm

    Astronomers find most Earth-like planets yet

    The first, 62e, is about 40 percent larger than Earth. It might be warm and may experience flashes of lightning, said Borucki.

    The second, 62f, is about 60 percent larger than our planet, and orbits its star every 267 days, close to Earth’s annual trajectory of 365 days.

    The planet may have polar caps, significant land masses and liquid water, Borucki said.

    Both are orbiting a seven-billion-year-old star some 1,200 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra.

    Yep, two of them orbiting the same star and it’s a couple of billion years older than our own sun. The next step is finding a way to detect life on these far distant planets.

    • vto 13.1
      19 April 2013 at 1:51 pm

      Now that is exciting, especially that they live in the constellation of lycra. Always wondered where that stuff came from.

    • ghostrider888 13.2
      19 April 2013 at 1:51 pm

      drop them a line D.

    • karol 13.3
      19 April 2013 at 2:02 pm

      Is it anywhere near Planet Key? If so, can we just beam him home?

      I read that article earlier. I’m not really much into space reality, preferring space fiction, and the reality of life on earth.

      But I was intrigued by that article- if advanced life there, what would it be like?

      • McFlock 13.3.1
        19 April 2013 at 2:58 pm

        Neither of them can be Planet Key.
        They are both too similar to Earth.

        I’ve always envisaged Planet Key as being a small, harsh, and dense planet covered with a brutal and storm-ridden atmosphere of corrosive gas.

        • karol 13.3.1.1
          19 April 2013 at 3:20 pm

          the deserts of the real!

          I said near to, not one of the planets.

          • McFlock 13.3.1.1.1
            19 April 2013 at 3:27 pm

            ah, my apologies 🙂

            Do you think it might be closer to the hot hell of a star, or much farther out in the lifeless chill of the eternal void?

      • emergency mike 13.3.2
        20 April 2013 at 3:20 am

        “if advanced life there, what would it be like?”

        Who knows, but if they have any WMDs I’m afraid we’ll be obliged to regime change their arses. Or at least send John Key at them to persuade them that selling their assets would be best for everyone.

    • The Al1en 13.4
      19 April 2013 at 5:44 pm

      “The next step is finding a way to detect life on these far distant planets.”

      Shouldn’t we concentrate on confirming intelligent life on this one first?

      “the constellation of lycra. Always wondered where that stuff came from.”
      “more interested in where it disappears to”

      It’s a bit of a stretch, but from my observations, it’s mostly Uranus.

  14. vto 14
    19 April 2013 at 1:54 pm

    Lake Brunner on the west coast is being “remediated” to basically clean up the shit that farming has dumped in it. It is being attended to by the local council and paid for by the ratepayers of the wider region and the taxpayers of NZ.

    Question: If the local farmers made this mess then why aren’t they cleaning it up? or at the very minimum paying for it?

    Any farmers out there like to comment?

    • weka 14.1
      19 April 2013 at 5:11 pm

      The FedFarmers version:

      “It’s my land, I can do what I want”

      “making my farm profitable is the most important thing”

      “farming is the backbone of this country, so stop your whining”

      “we’ve stacked the Regional Council with our mates, so you should just give up now”

      “nothing wrong with a bit of pollution anyway, it’s the natural order of things”

      “there is no such thing as manmade climate change”

      (apologies to all the NZ farmers who do give a shit)

  15. Rogue Trooper 15
    19 April 2013 at 2:18 pm

    these coinkydinks are pretty Waco-schmacko;
    -20th anniversary of Mt Carmel
    -18th anniversary of Oklahama
    -Fertilser
    -in the town of West.

    did you know, that the zoo-keeper killed by the elephant had not had a day off in two-and-a-half years due to financial constraints and lack of staff;
    (can’t, or won’t, or is your man a jaffa?)

    or, that regarding this hoovering up iron-sands that scientists have warned “we know very little about these ecosystems”. (90% of the sand is returned to the ocean floor; how efficient is that?).

    or,

    “that when China sneezes the rest of the world gets a cold”?

    from The Boy With The Tape on His Face
    amidst The Infinite Sadness

    GOD
    is (not)
    Dead
    because the gospels according to John tell us so : The King is Dead : Long Live The King

  16. Pete 16
    19 April 2013 at 3:01 pm

    David Shearer’s press secretary quits

    Her replacement as director of media and communications in Shearer’s office has not yet been announced.

    *Crosses fingers and chants:”Please don’t be a Pagani. Please don’t be a Pagani. Please don’t be a Pagani.”*

  17. Morrissey 17
    19 April 2013 at 4:43 pm

    LIARS OF OUR TIME
    No. 1: Barack Hussein Obama

    “Margaret Thatcher was one of the great champions of freedom and liberty’.

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/apr/08/margaret-thatcher-dies-tributes-obama

  18. marty mars 18
    19 April 2013 at 5:57 pm

    There are some good housing initiatives for Māori and one is underway in Tauranga but bob clarkson has spoken out because

    But Mr Clarkson said it was not fair for one section of the community to be eligible for funds when many in the wider population also suffered.

    The city council last year “shot down” his plan to provide 1000 affordable homes for $280,000 each. Everyone should be able to access affordable housing, no matter what colour their skin was, he said.

    he did preface his comments with the old, “”It’s bloody lovely. I’ve got nothing against Maori but…” line but it doesn’t lesson his lowness.

    It is a dedicated contestable fund for grants dimbob try moaning to the real people that make the decisions. I can’t stand the bitterness that uses Māori as a weapon when it isn’t even anything to do with them.

    http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/news/anger-over-homes-for-maori/1836297/

    http://mars2earth.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/bitter-bob.html

  19. NickS 19
    19 April 2013 at 6:32 pm

    http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/private-schools-could-receive-taxpayer-funding-increase-5411270

    T_T

    Once more National’s engaging in welfare for friends, helping to prop up private schools that really should just tighten their belts.

  20. Te Reo Putake 20
    19 April 2013 at 6:52 pm

    It’s all kicking off near Boston. One suspect captured, according to CBS, the other on the run. Lots of gunfire and some use of explosives.

  21. Huginn 21
    19 April 2013 at 8:55 pm

    Wow, now we all know why the authorities were searching frantically for Sunil Tripathi.

    http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981864024

  22. Lanthanide 22
    19 April 2013 at 10:16 pm

    So 12 new posts today, including Weekend Social and Open Mic. Is that a new record?

  23. TheContrarian 23
    20 April 2013 at 12:18 am

    Chechnya? That’s weird and unexpected

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    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    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
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    17 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
    20 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
    20 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
    22 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
    24 hours 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

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