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Open mike 19/04/2013

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 19th, 2013 - 74 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…

74 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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    Hon. Ron Mark, New Zealand First List MP based in Wairarapa The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $7.11 million to create a sustainable water supply for the Wairarapa. The PGF will provide a $7 million investment to Wairarapa Water Limited to progress the Wairarapa Water Storage Scheme towards procurement, consenting, ...
    NZ First Press Release
    2 weeks ago

  • Housing consents hit highest level since 1974
    Housing consents have hit a 45-year high, as Statistics NZ data shows a total of 37,010 residential consents were issued in the year to November --- the first time they have breached the 37,000 mark since the mid-1970s. Statistics NZ said the trend had been rising since late 2011, when ...
    NZ First News
    2 weeks ago

  • Darroch Ball MP: “Violence against first responders is a problem on the rise”
    New Zealand First MP Darroch Ball says that a paramedic being kicked unconscious last night in an attempted burglary in Warkworth, north of Auckland, is a symptom of a larger problem. "Incidents like this are becoming more and more frequent...and it’s getting worse," Mr Ball said. The MP is pushing for ...
    NZ First News
    2 weeks ago

  • Minister Ron Mark asks NZDF to conduct fire risk assessment from defence point of view
    Defence Minister Ron Mark said there was nothing to prevent similar large-scale bushfires seen in Australia from also happening in New Zealand, and has asked the New Zealand Defence Force to conduct a nfire risk assessment from a defence point of view. The defence assessment would help prevent a disaster ...
    NZ First News
    3 weeks ago

  • Defence Minister Mark expresses “absolute confidence” in NZDF forces stationed in Iraq
    While feeling worried about increased Middle East tensions, Defence Minister Ron Mark said he had "absolute confidence" in New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) leadership. His statements come as the fate of Kiwi troops stationed in Iraq comes under intense scrutiny. Forty-five Defence Force personnel were thought to be in the ...
    NZ First News
    3 weeks ago

  • ‘No Body, No Parole’ Bill is pointless dog-whistling
    Darroch Ball MP, Spokesperson for Law and Order National MP Tim Macindoe Member’s Bill, Concealment of Location of Victim Remains Bill does not do what he claims. The Bill specifies a requirement for the Parole Board to only “consider” denying parole if an offender refuses to disclose the location of the body. ...
    NZ First Press Release
    3 weeks ago

  • New Zealand Defence Force sends support to Australia
    Hon. Ron Mark, Minister of Defence Minister of Defence Ron Mark today announced New Zealand is sending three Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters and crew, and two NZ Army Combat Engineer Sections as well as a command element to support the Australian Defence Force efforts in tackling the Australian ...
    NZ First Press Release
    3 weeks ago

  • Defence Minister Ron Mark: “NZDF focused on protecting troops in Iraq from retaliation”
    As tensions in the Middle East continue to grow after the assassination of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the New Zealand Defence Force is focusing on the protection of Kiwi troops deployed in Iraq. Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says that "recent attacks on coalition bases and embassies constitute unacceptable ...
    NZ First News
    3 weeks ago

  • Health staff to meet flights from China as precautionary measure
    Public health staff will begin meeting flights from China from tomorrow, to actively look for signs of the novel coronavirus and provide advice, information and reassurance to passengers. Health Minister Dr David Clark says the additional measures are being taken following the arrival of the disease in Australia, via flights ...
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    19 hours ago

  • National Yearling Sales 2020
    National Yearling Sales at Karaka   26 January 2020    [CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY] Good morning. It is a pleasure to be here on opening day of the 2020 National Yearling Sales Series. Let us all acknowledge Sir Peter Vela and the Vela family for their outstanding contribution to the New ...
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    21 hours ago

  • Government and construction industry to build big, lift productivity with Transformation Plan
    Delivering the workforce and productivity gains required to build the houses, schools, roads, rail and hospitals New Zealand needs will become easier with the Government-industry Construction Sector Transformation Plan launched today, Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa says. “The action plan launched today delivers on the Government’s Construction Sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Log trains to begin on Wairoa-Napier line
    Log trains are about to start running between Wairoa and Napier following Provincial Growth Fund investment to reopen the rail line, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says. The Government invested $6.2 million to reopen the mothballed rail line which was closed after significant storm damage in 2012. “With PGF ...
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    2 days ago

  • Minister of Defence concludes successful visit with his US counterpart
    Minister of Defence Ron Mark met with United States Secretary of Defense Mark Esper today. “This was an excellent opportunity to meet with one of our closest security partners,” Ron Mark said. “The main focus of the meeting was to discuss challenges that New Zealand and the United States share ...
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    2 days ago

  • New Zealand acknowledges ICJ decision on Myanmar
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today acknowledged the ruling of the International Court of Justice in relation to the Rohingya people in Myanmar. The ruling ordered the Government of Myanmar to take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of acts of genocide in relation to members of the ...
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    3 days ago

  • NZ’s trade aims advanced at Davos meetings
    A proposal to cut “trade and production-distorting subsidies” in the agricultural sector by 2030 has set out important measures to ensure a fair agricultural trading system.  Speaking after attending meetings of trade ministers in Davos, Switzerland, Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker welcomed the joint proposal from the ...
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    3 days ago

  • Great news for New Zealanders with cystic fibrosis
    Health Minister Dr David Clark says he is delighted that PHARMAC has struck a provisional deal to fund Kalydeco – a medicine which is set to improve the quality of life for about 30 New Zealand children and adults with cystic fibrosis. “While rare, cystic fibrosis is an awful inherited ...
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  • New Zealand least corrupt country in the world
    New Zealand has regained its position as the least corrupt country in the world for the second time under this Coalition Government, says Justice Minister Andrew Little. “New Zealanders can be proud that our reputation as one of the least corrupt countries in the world has been restored,” says Andrew ...
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    4 days ago

  • Boost for Rēkohu/Wharekauri/Chatham Islands Community Conservation
    Community conservation in Rēkohu/Wharekauri/the Chatham Islands is receiving a boost, with grants to support local projects announced today by Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage. “Rēkohu/Wharekauri/ the Chatham Islands are home to 20 per cent of New Zealand’s threatened bird species and 11 per cent of New Zealand’s threatened plant species. ...
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  • Rātana Pā goes high-tech with UFB
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  • Govt’s strong financial management acknowledged
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  • Boost in Whānau Ora funding to keep changing lives
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    4 days ago

  • More people getting into work
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  • Wairoa gets up to $6.1m to rebuild heart of CBD
    The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing up to $6.1 million to revitalise business and tourism opportunities in Wairoa, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The PGF is funding: Up to $4.8 million for the Wairoa Integrated Business and Tourism Facility Up to $960,000 for the ...
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    5 days ago

  • Major Events support for creative and cultural events
    Creative and cultural events that highlight New Zealand’s diverse culture and build national pride are set to get a funding boost through the Major Events Fund, Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford said today. The new Creative and Cultural Events Incubator, which is funded through the Major Events Fund, will open ...
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    5 days ago

  • Classroom internet in hundreds of schools to get a boost
    The Government has begun a massive IT upgrade to provide more seamless internet access to 200 schools around the country. Te Mana Tūhono – Technology in Schools work programme will launch with a pilot of 10 smaller state schools early this year. IT equipment that gives students access to the ...
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    5 days ago

  • Construction workforce, apprenticeships hit record highs
    Working with industry and committing to rebuild New Zealand’s infrastructure has produced a record high number of Kiwis working in the construction industry and learning trades, says Minister for Building and Construction Jenny Salesa. New figures available today from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Tertiary Education ...
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    5 days ago

  • NZ concludes digital economy trade talks with Singapore and Chile
    A new trade agreement concluded today helps New Zealand exporters and consumers take advantage of opportunities from digital trade.    Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker together with Chile’s Vice Minister of Trade Rodrigo Yañez and Singapore’s Minister of Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, have announced conclusion of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Provincial Growth Fund to fund Waipukurau cultural development and tourism
    The Ngā Ara Tipuna -  Waipukurau Pā Site Interpretation project will receive $2.798 million from the Provincial Growth Fund to create an authentic cultural tourism experience, Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today “The project will inform visitors about the history of six pā sites in Waipukurau with a combination ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • 21 new judges boost diversity, improve access to justice
    Twenty-one new District Court judges have been appointed in a move that will improve access to justice and boost diversity on the bench. The new judges include replacements for retirements and 10 new positions. Attorney-General David Parker today announced the 14 judges who can immediately be named, with the remainder ...
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    6 days ago

  • Puhinui to Auckland Airport in 10 minutes
    Aucklanders are another step closer to getting rapid transit to the airport, with the start of construction to upgrade State Highway 20B to the airport, Transport Minister Phil Twyford announced today. SH20B will be upgraded with additional lanes in each direction, dedicated to bus and high-occupancy vehicles between Pukaki Creek ...
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    6 days ago

  • Advancing New Zealand’s trade agenda focus of Europe meetings
    World Trade Organisation reform, agricultural trade and a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom will be the focus of Minister for Trade and Export Growth David Parker’s visit to Europe this week. David Parker leaves on Tuesday for a series of meetings in the UK and Switzerland that aim ...
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    7 days ago

  • Minister of Defence to visit counterparts in US and Canada
    The Minister of Defence, Ron Mark, departed today for the United States and Canada where he will meet with his counterparts.  While in Canada Minister Mark will meet with his counterpart, Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan.  “New Zealand and Canada are close friends, and share an instinctive like-mindedness on ...
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    1 week ago

  • Government to deliver family carers $2000 pay rise, expand scheme to spouses this year
    The Coalition Government is delivering this year the changes to Funded Family Care the disability sector has long-asked for, says Associate Minister of Health Jenny Salesa. “Today we are announcing the details of our big changes to Funded Family Care, including an annual average pay boost of $2,246.40 for funded ...
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    1 week ago

  • Ko te reo kua mū: Piri Sciascia
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    1 week ago

  • Minister opens new ecosanctuary at Cape Farewell
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Pacific partners work together to provide additional support to Australia
    The NZDF continues to support the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as it battles fires in Victoria and New South Wales, including by transporting Republic of Fiji Military engineers from Nadi to Australia, announced Defence Minister Ron Mark. On Saturday morning a NZDF Boeing 757 will depart New Zealand to uplift ...
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    1 week ago

  • Kaikōura $10.88 million boost in tourism & business
    The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) is investing $10.88 million to boost business and tourism opportunities in Kaikōura, Parliamentary Undersecretary for Regional Economic Development, Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. As part of the Kaikōura Marina Development Programme, the following two projects will receive PGF funding: A $9.88 million investment to begin the ...
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    1 week ago

  • Govt accounts in surplus, debt remains low
    The Government’s books are in good shape with the accounts in surplus and expenses close to forecast, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. The Treasury today released the Crown accounts for the five months to November. The operating balance before gains and losses (OBEGAL) was above forecast by $0.7 billion resulting ...
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    1 week ago

  • Auckland focus for first Police graduation of 2020
    The number of Police on the Auckland frontline is increasing with the graduation today of a special locally-trained wing of new constables. Police Minister Stuart Nash says the graduation of eighteen officers from Recruit Wing 333-5 means that more than 1900 new Police have been deployed since the Coalition Government ...
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    2 weeks ago

  • Wairarapa gets $7.11m PGF water boost
    The Provincial Growth Fund is putting $7.11 million into creating a sustainable water supply for Wairarapa, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Regional Economic Development Fletcher Tabuteau announced today. The following two projects will receive Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) funding: A $7 million investment in Wairarapa Water Limited for the pre-construction development of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Progress with new Police station in Mahia
    Community safety and crime prevention in the East Coast community of Mahia has moved forward with the opening of a new Police station to serve the growing coastal settlement. Police Minister Stuart Nash has officially opened the new station, which was relocated almost 20 kilometres along the coast from the nearby ...
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    2 weeks ago

  • Plans to protect the future of whitebaiting announced
    With several native whitebait species in decline the Minister of Conservation Eugenie Sage has today released proposals to standardise and improve management of whitebait across New Zealand. “The need for action for a healthy whitebait fishery has never been greater,” Eugenie Sage said.  “Four of the six whitebait species are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New resource for schools to increase awareness and understanding of climate change
    A new Ministry of Education resource available for schools in 2020 will increase awareness and understanding of climate change, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “The resource, Climate Change – prepare today, live well tomorrow, will help students understand the effects of climate change at a local, national and global ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Getting more out of our most productive firms
    Finance Minister Grant Robertson has approved the terms of reference for an Inquiry into the economic contribution of New Zealand's frontier firms. Frontier firms are the most productive firms in the domestic economy within their own industry. “These firms are important as they diffuse new technologies and business practices into ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • NZDF sends more support to Australia
    The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is sending an Environmental Health Team, a Primary Health Care Team and a Chaplain to Australia, boosting New Zealand support for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) as it battles bush fires in Victoria and New South Wales, Defence Minister Ron Mark announced today. The ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand joins partners in calling for full investigation into air crash in Iran
    Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rt Hon Winston Peters says that developments suggesting a surface-to-air missile is responsible for the downing of the Ukrainian International Airlines flight in Iran is disastrous news. “New Zealand offers its deepest sympathies to the families of the 176 victims. It is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Staying connected to Australian agriculture
    Agriculture Minister, Damien O’Connor, says the Ministry for Primary Industries is continuing to stay connected to federal authorities in Australia as devastating fires affect the country.  “The Ministry is using an existing trans-Tasman forum for discussions on the agricultural impact of the fires and the future recovery phase,” says Damien ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

  • Investment in schools – a commitment to communities
    Thousands of school-age children, their teachers and wider communities are benefiting from the Government’s multi-million dollar investment upgrading and renewing schools, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said today. “We want New Zealand to be the best place to be a child and that means learning in warm, comfortable and modern classrooms,” ...
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    3 weeks ago

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