Open mike 20/03/2012

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, March 20th, 2012 - 73 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:

Open mike is your post. For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the link to Policy in the banner).

Step right up to the mike…

73 comments on “Open mike 20/03/2012 ”

  1. Jenny 1

    “Keep The Coal In The Hole”

    Please circulate throughout your lists

    The Frozen Planet, is a disappearing world

    David Attenborough, Episode 7, On Thin Ice

    Are you concerned about global warming?

    Do you want New Zealand to give a global lead?

    Show John Key Your Opposition To Coal Mining On Conservation Land!

    This Wednesday 21st March, 5 pm, 1 Willeston Street, Downtown Wellington, John Key will officially open Bathurst Resources’ new New Zealand office. Bathurst Resources plan to develop New Zealand’s largest open-cast coal mine on conservation land and we plan to oppose it every step of the way.

    Join Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Forest and Bird, Greenpeace, 350, Ora Taiao, Generation Zero, and other concerned groups and individuals from around the country to say ‘NO Mining Pure NZ’.

    In May 2010, over 50 000 people marched up Queen Street in Auckland to protest the Government’s proposal to open up National Parks and other protected areas, after which the government executed a remarkable backdown and committed not to mine in National Parks and other significant conservation areas protected under Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act.

    They also stated that “significant applications to mine on public conservation land should be notified”. In November 2011, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson advised that the application for Australian-owned Bathurst Resources to have access to mine the fragile and unique Denniston Plateau will not be publicly notified.

    Bathurst’s proposal for a resource consent to mine coal on the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast is currently under appeal to the Environment Court. This proposal is the thin edge of Bathurst’s wedge which would see a unique ecosystem destroyed and the volume of coal exported by New Zealand increase by 40% and more in the future if we don’t stop this.

    So bring your placards and help give John Key and Bathurst Resources our simple message: “Keep the coal in the hole”.

    Find out more here
    Or email: coalactionnetwork@gmail.com

    • Colonial Viper 1.1

      Around the time Brent becomes $140-$160/barrel, I predict that the popularity of coal is going to skyrocket through the roof. October or November probably, during the northern hemisphere winter.

      • Jenny 1.1.1

        Around the time Brent becomes $140-$160/barrel, I predict that the popularity of coal is going to skyrocket through the roof. October or November probably, during the northern hemisphere winter.

        Colonial Viper

        No doubt you are probably right CV. And vested interest and their government toadies will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect. We might as well tcelebrate the victory of greed over nature and throw the last Hectors Dolphin onto the fire to use the little store of blubber these creatures possess to stoke the flames, as the acidification of the ocean caused by burning all that coal will kill them eventually anyway.

        Do I sound bitter?

        Last week I asked the editors at ‘The Standard’ to give notice of the above public event protesting against open cast coal mining on the Deniston Plateau. A proposal that if it goes ahead as well as destroying a unique eco-system will increase New Zealand’s coal exports by 40%.

        Nothing but silence.

        I again sent a request to put up a notice about this event to the editors last night, fully expecting to see something today.

        To admit to the problem but not want to do everything in your power to help those who want to do something practical about it. In some ways is worse than being a denier.

        • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1

          The $60K-$120K pa middle classes want their creature comforts, cars and their consumption.

          They have been promised by many cohorts of marketeers, politicians and economists, and they will not be denied.

        • Fortran 1.1.1.2

          Can’t make it to Denniston Mine protest – cost too much in petrol and exhaust gasses.
          Its a hell of a long way to nowhere, even from Westport, to seed some snails

    • Jenny 1.2

      Your comment is awaiting moderation.

      Why?

  2. Bored 2

    As an exercise in nausea I visited the national party 2011 election website. Looking primarily for the things Key did not mention they would do after the election. We all knew he would sell the SOEs off but we had nothing there about the more extreme rightist policies.

    Charter Schools anybody? Hear about that from National pre election? Ditto private prisons? Whats next?

    What we are seeing is a creeping rash of extreme right policies: what I am not hearing is a dialogue from Labour as a leftist (or even centrist) counter. Must we all whistle Dixie whilst Shearer considers a response rather than a minor display of visceral anger and opposition? Get a spine Labour, stop Shearer from appearing like a filleted jellyfish.

    • Kotahi Tane Huna 2.1

      Don’t hold your breath Bored. The response is probably going to be along the lines of:

      “We are putting bad prison guards and badly run prisons on notice.”

    • RedLogix 2.2

      NACT have one term left and they don’t care about being re-elected.

      I was going to write an article on the local govt reforms but Gordon Campbell has done it much better. Worth a read.

      There are some elements of the proposed legislation that are potentially good. It’s not all bad, especially around the possibility of making it easier to create larger more efficient council structures. But the real weasel is in the first section of the document released yesterday:

      1. The Local Government Act 2002 will be amended to replace references to the ‘social, economic,
      environmental and cultural well-being of communities’ (the four well beings) with a new purpose for
      councils of ‘providing good quality local infrastructure, public services and regulatory functions at
      the least possible cost to households and business.’

      The important words in the new purpose statement are ‘local’ to differentiate from services better provided by central government and ‘public’ to clarify that councils should not try to replace services provided by the private sector. The proviso requiring least cost is to emphasize the need for efficiency. The definitions will make it plain that ‘least possible cost’ means costs now and into the future, to ensure decision makers do not take a narrow, short term view of cost effectiveness.

      The crucial loophole here is that it is entirely a matter of interpretation … presumably the discretion of the Minister… as to what is a public or private activity. And given that the Minister is given drastic new powers to intervene in Local Government then he can impose his intepretation however he likes.

      If the Minister for instance deems that a Port operation is a ‘private sector business’ then he can force a Council to sell it. If he deems Water Supply to be the same.. the same applies. There is no limit to what the Minister can impose.

      Especially if the political cost is irrelevant to him.

      • Colonial Viper 2.2.1

        Especially if the political cost is irrelevant to him.

        Then other pressures can and should be imposed on the Government by the local communities which are dictatorially affected, beyond purely political ones. After all, political costs come in many shapes and forms.

      • mickysavage 2.2.2

        Can you imagine how Auckland feels with this announcement.  One of the super city reforms required the Council to prepare a “spatial plan” the purpose of which was to “contribute to Auckland’s social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being through a comprehensive and effective long-term (20- to 30-year) strategy for Auckland’s growth and development.”

        The plan was not a wish list.  It had to “identify policies, priorities, land allocations, and programmes and investments to implement the strategic direction and specify how resources will be provided to implement the strategic direction.”

        Now Smith is telling Auckland not to bother with the social, environmental or cultural well beings.  He could have saved a lot of work and bother by excluding them from the start.

      • Bored 2.2.3

        The key line from Campbell sums it up This reform is not about ‘transparency’ and ‘accountability’. It is about imposing a right wing strait jacket on communities and their elected councils, in order to further commercialise the provision of quite basic needs..

        You might ask the questions:
        1. How much do all of the services put out to tender to the private sector under the LATE legislation etc cost?
        2. How much does it cost to do in-house?

        I suspect that the difference is the “profit” that has to be paid to the private sector. If we were to total the cumulative profit implicit within LATE contracts since the Bassett legislation in 1987 (25 years) how much I wonder would that offset the council debt loadings?

    • prism 2.3

      @Bored How about threatening to call him Doctor John Zoidberg the fishy intellectual with lobster arms from Futurama?

  3. Kotahi Tane Huna 3

    No doubt this will need to be pushed through under urgency.

    “Councils would be steered away from spending on social and cultural activities in favour of “core” activities such as key infrastructure, regulations and public services.”

    The whole Objectivist playbook.

    • Bored 3.1

      Lets face it bigger is better, bigger is cheaper, bigger is more efficient……fuck these bastard rationalists really give me the heebies. Show me the evidence.

      • Colonial Viper 3.1.1

        Not rational to ask them for scientific evidence when their decision making is ideological and profiteering in basis, not scientific.

      • Kotahi Tane Huna 3.1.2

        First order of business for the next left government. The “Reversal Of Every Single Piece Of Legislation Passed Over The Last Six Years Bill”. To be debated under urgency, naturally.

        • prism 3.1.2.1

          @Kotahi Tane Huta
          😀 I see this government and its moneyed coaches as repeating the taking of the commons land from the English lower classes back when the moneyed classes there decided they could do better with the land than the poor people who relied on it.

  4. I’ve talked about attacks and abuse here before, most of it is really quite tame. Especially compared to what I’ve been witnessing elsewhere online over the past few weeks.

    Confronting the real abuse

    I have been witnessing an online campaign of abuse, false and unsubstantiated accusation, character assassination, misrepresentation of identities, attempts to shut down speech, attempts to shut down organisations. It has ranged from annoying to disgraceful.

    And that’s not the worst of it. Others have linked some of this to criminal and mental health histories, death threats, even incest. This is associated with people who present themselves as working against abuse – some of them are the worst of abusers.

    It puts political bickering into perspective, although it does show how bad fighting and abusing can degenerate on an unregulated web.

    [It is one reason why we moderate this site…RL]

    • Colonial Viper 4.1

      PG are you now promoting a ‘regulated web’ where statutory bodies have a direct say over what can and cannot be communicated over the internet.

      • Pete George 4.1.1

        I haven’t said anything like that.

        • mickysavage 4.1.1.1

          Um petey you are saying an unregulated web is a bad thing and implying regulation is needed.

          • Colonial Viper 4.1.1.1.1

            He doesn’t really think this stuff through to the end does he, MS.

          • Pete George 4.1.1.1.2

            I didn’t imply anything like that Greg, if you had a legal background you would understand what an implication was.

            I said there are problems with an unregulated web, nothing about what could or should be done about it.

            RL – yes, I agree that the sort of thing I’m talking about wouldn’t be allowed here. A degree of regulation isn’t always a bad thing.

            • RedLogix 4.1.1.1.2.1

              A degree of regulation isn’t always a bad thing.

              In fact a degree of regulation is always a necessary thing. Politics is essentially the art of striking a desirable balance between too much and too little.

            • Rosemary 4.1.1.1.2.2

              Whatever, Wormtongue.

    • Well, they’re protecting us against big bad terrorists by filtering them big baddasses out of being able to get on planes so regulating the net is gonna help against bad words too. I reckon. Good on ya George for being such an obedient MSM regurgitator.

    • vto 4.3

      Pete George, try a little more thinking first …. “I have been witnessing an online campaign of abuse, false and unsubstantiated accusation, character assassination, misrepresentation of identities, attempts to shut down speech, attempts to shut down organisations.”

      Start with your own ambition and types Pete – Parliament and politicians…

      abuse … feral inbreds on the west coast
      false and unsubstantiated accusation … Winston Peters tirades under the shade of privilege against any number of private people – shameful.
      character assassination … Bennett in exposing the private details of the Auckland women.
      misrepresentation of identities ….
      attempts to shut down speech … NZ on Air contorting to only show certain programs last year to aid election of incumbent.
      attempts to shut down organisations … kim dotcom

      I am sure others would be aware of more and better examples but the bottom line is that it is your own arena Pete George which is the most abusive and should be better regulated. Think first man.

      • Tigger 4.3.1

        PG – I find your trolling here to shill for Dunne abusive.

        • muzza 4.3.1.1

          It is also dishonest as PG the eternal fluffer attempts to inflate or is that fellate, the leader of his pack, with truth bending, missleading and flat out denial of facts on this blog as a start..

          The word offended is far too soft when used towards PG the Dunny Brush supporter on this site…its flat out insulting!

      • Pete George 4.3.2

        Curious that I’m getting attacked and abused (mildly) here for posting that.

        • vto 4.3.2.1

          Oh how pathetic. And you stood for Parliament?

          And no answer I see.

        • Rosemary 4.3.2.2

          With respect, Pete George, please fuck off. We’ve had enough of your ideologically driven duplicitous bullshit. You’re a very dangerous man, and as long as you keep spouting your ill-thought out pseudo-intellectual clap-trap, we’ll continue to tell you so.

      • r0b 4.3.3

        abuse … feral inbreds on the west coast

        Just for the record, that one didn’t happen.

        Clark referred to “some fairly feral attitudes”, and made no reference to “inbreds” at all.

        • prism 4.3.3.1

          Thanks rOb for some facts in this case, the myths blow a lot of dust in our eyes.

        • vto 4.3.3.2

          ha ha, thanks r0b, I wondered if that piece of artistic licence might lure you from your hiding place.

          • r0b 4.3.3.2.1

            I am kinda hiding it’s true – but only because of over work just now. Should pass in just a few more weeks. I hope…

    • Bored 4.4

      Pete, whilst you continue to support that idiot Dunne and his desire to aid and abet the legalised theft of state assets by his larcenous mates in the National party I will continue to “abuse” your viewpoint.

      • Colonial Viper 4.4.1

        Perhaps you could try and disabuse PG of his mistaken viewpoints? Nah, no chance of success.

    • Reality Bytes 4.5

      Hey Pete, welcome to the Internet.

      I’ve read your stuff, and although I disagree with some of the stuff you say, I recon you are a nice person inspite of our ideological differences. But I think you are a little bit naive to think the Internet is some sort of prime time “censored and ok for kids hour” tv slot. People will swear and take the mickey online, mostly in jest and to prove a point about something they are passionate about, and not out of maliciousness. Sure there are trolls and griefers, but I suspect they are dealt with pretty well here. The Internet can be a bit more like a rowdy local pub at times, and that’s why I’m surprised you seem a bit naive considering you’ve been active here for a fair while.

      Cheers.

  5. Food for thought.

    If the chances of dying from a terrorist attack are 1:25.000.000 while the chances of dying from a lightening strike are 1:500.000 than why does this three year old boy in a wheel chair for fuck’s sake have to be terrorised by the TSA on his trip to Disney land?

    Or if you’re not mad you haven’t been paying attention.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1

      Probably because the US is just a year or two away from becoming a “turnkey totalitarian state” able to intercept, decode and store every single electronic message or phone call you make in your life time, anywhere in the world.

      http://www.zerohedge.com/news/%E2%80%9Cwe-are-far-turnkey-totalitarian-state-big-brother-goes-live-september-2013

    • McFlock 5.2

      Short answer: if one mixes paranoia with private security suppliers who employ lowest-wage staff, who in turn have no incentive to think for themselves, one can expect things like this, and the occasional shooting of a distressed passenger (or high-multiple-tasering followed by an unfortunate but “unrelated” demise).
           
      But fear is a good distraction from the other -problems in life. 

  6. just saying 6

    ACC minister alleged to have provided a supportive reference for Pullar on ministerial notepaper

    My second attempt at putting in a link the “neat” way. May not work. If not, it’s in the herald

    This story just keeps getting better.

    If this is true, I find it fascinating that, ACC staff have continued to aggressively manage Ms Pullar’s claim despite her pulling some of the strongest ‘contact’ cards in the pack. She must have really pissed them off because I’m pretty sure that most middle-manager types in the public service would, (and probably do) cave pretty quickly in these kinds of circumstances. Seems like a mini-rebellion.

    Key is predictably relaxed about his ACC minister intervening in this way, and said he had known Pullar for years himself, as she had been a National Party official, and that she had often talked to him about her ACC woes at funtions.

  7. Jenny 7

    Christchurch repairs are in danger due to lack of rental accommodation.

    Christchurch Rental Crisis Deepens stuff.co.nz

    Real estate institute Canterbury director Tony McPherson said the repairs were in danger of being delayed and the problem was going to get worse as rebuilds were added to the repair work.
    ”There is huge pressure on rental accommodation in the city from people who have been forced out of the red zone, the large short-term work force in the city there to assist with the recovery, as well as the normal seasonal demand from tertiary students.”

    Moteliers and other accommodation providers were becoming consistently full with displaced families rather than the usual numbers of tourists, which was affecting the business of other industries reliant on visitors spending money, he said.

    McPherson said he understood temporary accommodation opened up by Government was fully occupied.

    ”There is a need for a circuit-breaker if the rebuild of homes is to be carried out efficiently. Without it, the rebuild is in jeopardy, causing further frustration, delay and unnecessary stress on Christchurch people, who now want to get on with their lives.”

    What could this “circuit breaker” be?

    I see that there are hundreds of perfectly good and undamaged homes are on the market in and around Christchurch.

    For a government that has been very swift in bailing out the wealthy, burnt by bad investment decisions to the tune of $billions. How about buying up all this housing stock and renting it out to those in need?

    Unlike the bailout of the rich speculators instead of gaining billions of dollars of worthless junk bonds and making a loss, the government, as well as helping people suffering through no fault of their own, will gain an appreciable asset.

    (And I am sure the real estate agents and sellers would appreciate it as well.)

    Check it out!

    1) Harcourts

    2) Professionals

    3) Ray White

    4) Mike Pero

    5) Nation Wide

    6) Total Realty

    7) GlassMiles

    8 ) Hastings McLeod Ltd

    9) Simes

    10) Blue Sky

    This is just some of the houses available.

    Why don’t the government buy up all these perfectly good houses and rent them out?

    There is no need for anyone at all to go homeless in Christchurch.

    Simple.

    The government can spend $billions of our tax money bailing out millionaires who lost money on investments. Why are they sitting around on their hands doing nothing about the rental crisis in Christchurch?

    • Kotahi Tane Huna 7.1

      Brownlee: ” it could have artificially lowered the appetite of private investors to provide a solution that could be lucrative for investors,”

      What a scumbag.

      • Jenny 7.1.1

        It is like Brownlee is reading my criticisms of his government, and giving his reply.

        Either that, or the need to take such obvious action to ease the Christchurch rental housing crisis, must be apparent even to him. So apparent in fact, that he has to come up with his fatuous defence that protecting the market is more important than housing people. Even though the housing crisis is so bad that it is hampering the very recovery and reconstruction of the city which is supposed to be his main responsibility.

        The needs of the “lucrative” “private investors” must come first.

        With this sort of attitude, let’s pray that Brownlee’s government buddies don’t spy another bunch of millionaires that need bailing out.

  8. vto 8

    A starter for 10 …

    What proportion of demolition diggers and nibblers in the Christchurch CBD sit idle all day long?

    • vto 8.1

      Ok, I’ll answer it – try about 80-90%

      That’s right folks. The CBD is like a ghost town with virtually no work going on. All the giant machinery is sitting idle right now, despite a huge amount of demolition work remaining (all the big buildings). There are no workers around, the place is quiet and dead.

      • Colonial Viper 8.1.1

        FFS

        Just wait for Treasury to push out the economic benefits from Christchurch reconstruction yet again.

        Better accept it people, building owners are taking their insurance payouts and have mentally already left the CBD.

        • vto 8.1.1.1

          Yes well it surprised me. I have not been into the CBD for some time but it was quiet. Really quiet. And the giant machinery was sitting idle.

          Perhaps it is lack of insurance money flow again. Perhaps it is owners leaving and simply not bothering to follow things through in good speed.

          Either way, there ainto nothing much going on. And there are a large number of the big buildings which haven’t even been started yet. The small old easy ones have long gone, but not the big and difficult ones. The biggest jobs remain.

          The timeframe is going to stretch way out ………………………

          • gareth 8.1.1.1.1

            I’d bet that machinery is being paid for by someone, Other wise it would be somewhere else working/ making money. No one with that amount of coin invested in machinery likes to have it sitting still for long….
            I bet someone’s paying a healthy retainer to have it sitting there….

            • vto 8.1.1.1.1.1

              Yes. The contractors who took a punt on contracts in Chch and who are about to up-sticks.

  9. Kotahi Tane Huna 9

    We may need to look at providing a commissioner for the environment who can give you a counterview.

    Freshwater report.

  10. aerobubble 11

    Personal responsibility. Take an aspect of everyone’s life, that people have had to live with the consequences of their actions since the year dot, and then claim they could have done better, should do better, and they are parasites on the backside of society that they ever made a mistake.
    Your government hates you.

  11. Grumpy 13

    The other day we surmised on the real target ofvWhale’s attack on Boag.

    Now we have it, Nick Smith. Internal National politics……….

    • tc 13.1

      Paying the price for his ACC levy drop and upsetting Atilla the Hen as he’s always been a compulsive liar and general nutcase so it can’t be that.

  12. Jackal 14

    Think big prisons fail

    So does National have any intention of actually trying to decrease reoffending or are they just interested in jobs for the boys? Building Wiri is most definitely not in the best interests of the justice system, although it’s obviously in the best interest of Fletchers, Serco and National’s coffers…

  13. Fortran 15

    Am waiting to see where the billions of EQC and Insurance Company money is going. To the banks or ?
    I note thet the sale of new expensive cars is up in the Christchurch area.

    • McFlock 15.1

      The sale of new expensive cars in Dunedin took a drop when the ODHB IT guy got done for multimillion dollar fraud. 

  14. Draco T Bastard 17

    The $8 Billion iPod

    The video is definitely worth a watch, but here are a couple highlights:

    The RIAA argues that $150,000 is lost for every illegal copy of a song. Based on this argument, an iPod Classic could carry up to $8 billion in pirated music.
    The MPAA says that $58 billion and 370,000 jobs are lost annually to piracy, yet, Reid argues, only the music industry is down in revenue since 2000 and by nowhere near $58 billion.

    The more I look at the claims of the copyright industry the more I realise that all their claims are complete bollocks.

  15. Campbell Larsen 18

    Anyone else find it odd that Close Up is interviewing an American professor about the ‘terror’ trials?

    I find it irksome that we are turning to someone from the country behind terror laws for comment about the legitimacy of this trial – couldn’t they find a NZ academic?

    • Campbell Larsen 18.1

      Ooops my bad – he has been here since ’72 so probably is a NZ resident – Sorry Bill, but your accent is still the last one I want to hear when commentary on this issue is being delivered – nothing personal.

  16. prism 19

    ms asked earlier why didn’t nick smith cut out the social cultural thing when Auckland was being turned into a smoothie. I think that this government is like a tag wrestling team with some upfront mixing it with the public and others waiting in the wings with their particular maneouvre ready to utilise.

    Someone on jim mora today pointed out the huge burden that large amalgamations make for the CEOs, which explains their huge salaries. Where did economy of scale go? And flatten the management structure and pay most of the saving in salary to the top banana! That’s a sort of parallel book keeping.

    • vto 19.1

      ” Where did economy of scale go? ”

      I think it went down the toilet.

      It costs more money to all shit together than to shit singularly. How did that happen?

    • Draco T Bastard 19.2

      Economy of scale used to work with factories (back when one factory could be far more efficient than another) – never worked with social institutions.

  17. Jackal 20

    Ongoing nuclear nightmares

    Yesterday, there were more reports of Radioactive cesium levels rising sharply in Fukushima and last week there were a couple of serious nuclear accidents in Canada and South Korea that went largely unreported…

    • Draco T Bastard 20.1

      last week there were a couple of serious nuclear accidents in Canada and South Korea that went largely unreported…

      Of course they went unreported – there wasn’t any natural disaster to cause them and they were in 1) first world country and 2) US nuclear state friends.

  18. Draco T Bastard 21

    Human Revenue Stream

    The essential public good that Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and now Cameron sell is not power stations, or trains, or hospitals. It’s the public itself. It’s us.

    Which is really what this government is selling with their state asset sales program – us. Selling the power will give a few people a permanent revenue stream from our work for doing absolutely nothing.

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    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    1 day ago
  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    1 day ago
  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    1 day ago
  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    1 day ago
  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    1 day ago
  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    2 days ago
  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    2 days ago
  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    2 days ago
  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    2 days ago
  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic plan, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    2 days ago
  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago
  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    3 days ago
  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    3 days ago
  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    3 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    3 days ago
  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    4 days ago
  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago
  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    5 days ago
  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago
  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #17 2024
    Open access notables Ice acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment: In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
    6 days ago
  • Maori Party (with “disgust”) draws attention to Chhour’s race after the High Court rules on Wa...
    Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago
  • Who’s Going Up The Media Mountain?
    Mr Bombastic: Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
    7 days ago
  • “That's how I roll”
    It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • “Comity” versus the rule of law
    In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Aotearoa: a live lab for failed Right-wing socio-economic zombie experiments once more…
    Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder. In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    1 week ago
  • Water is at the heart of farmers’ struggle to survive in Benin
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére Sosou Market gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
    1 week ago
  • At a time of media turmoil, Melissa had nothing to proclaim as Minister – and now she has been dem...
    Buzz from the Beehive   Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 week ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago
  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Government saves access to medicines
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