Open mike 22/05/2016

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 22nd, 2016 - 69 comments
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openmikeOpen mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose. The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

69 comments on “Open mike 22/05/2016 ”

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  1. ropata 1
    22 May 2016 at 7:13 am

    Waatea News with David Cunliffe, Nandor Tanczos & Dr Bryce Edwards. Coverage of fish dumping, economic mismanagement, and people living in garages and cars

    • Chooky 1.1
      22 May 2016 at 11:44 am

      +100 …thanks…good viewing…David Cunliffe looking great!..he has the credibility of a moral Left leader…he could beat jonkey Nact convincingly

      Bradbury as usual asks the crucial questions

      • Chuck 1.1.1
        22 May 2016 at 1:23 pm

        “he could beat jonkey Nact convincingly” In what century Chooky? have you forgotten he lead the Labour party to the slaughter house in 2014 (25% vote).

        • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1
          22 May 2016 at 1:31 pm

          You’ve made a mistake. That’s a pathetic electoral result which the careerists in Labour scapegoated on to Cunliffe, but which they fully contributed to themselves.

          Cunliffe needed a full term as Leader in order to make his mark and overcome his deficiencies. But his “colleagues” were never going to give him that chance.

          I believe that Labour currently has a more than 50/50 chance of coming in under 25% in 2017.

          • Chuck 1.1.1.1.1
            22 May 2016 at 2:00 pm

            I can accept that.

            So in a prefect world (for Labour) Cunliffe would be allowed to have the time to cement his position and purge any colleagues that may undermine him?

            Is there a way back for Cunliffe? (genuine question).

            • te reo putake 1.1.1.1.1.1
              22 May 2016 at 2:17 pm

              Is there a way back for DC? No, for two reasons. One is that Andrew Little is doing fine as leader and is in a good place to be PM after the next election. There is no mood in the party, affiliates or caucus to change. The second reason is that Cunliffe wouldn’t go near the job even if it was handed to him on a plate. Once bitten, twice shy.

              • Colonial Viper …
                22 May 2016 at 2:34 pm

                TRP, Little is already gone, he just doesn’t know it yet.

                Grant Robertson will win the leadership in 2018 hands down.

                • te reo putake …
                  22 May 2016 at 2:48 pm

                  Yeah, right. The first part of that comment also applies to you, brother 😉 Robertson is never going to be leader, his chance has been and gone. But it’s heartening to see him and the rest of caucus working together for a change. I know you hate the thought of a Labour led government, but it’s going to be a distinct possibility in less than 18 months, unless the Nats find a way to buy Winston off.

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    22 May 2016 at 3:01 pm

                    Hmmm interesting that you can’t see GR positioning all his own people throughout the organisation.

                    My opinion remains – GR will be the (almost undisputed) Labour Leader in 2018. There is one other serious potential contender in the wings but it won’t be Cunliffe.

                    • te reo putake …
                      22 May 2016 at 3:26 pm

                      I can’t see it because it’s not actually happening. Grant doesn’t have ‘people’ he can ‘position’. That’s just your fantasy about how things work. The truth is much duller; the only way to get ahead is to work hard, have good ideas and to win people over via the party’s democratic structures. That also applies in the Greens and if I’m to be charitable, it’s probably applicable to National too. NZ First, not so much. I like Grant btw. But he has as much chance of being leader as I have. And I’m sure Grant and I are equally sanguine about that reality.

                    • Colonial Viper …
                      22 May 2016 at 3:46 pm

                      Okay dude.

                • Hanswurst …
                  22 May 2016 at 2:49 pm

                  Genuine question: Is there anybody outside the Labour caucus who has even the slightest interest in Grant Robertson? I don’t dislike the fellow. A binder of posters here seem to think that he’s some sort of devious Machiavellian operator, a short of McCully in Labour clothing, if you will. I have no idea whether there’s any truth to that or not. The thing is, though, that I just see him and think “meh”, whether he’s talking about policy, asking questions or whatever. Even Parker seems more passionate, and that’s saying something. I can’t see Robertson really even registering with the electorate, whether positively or negatively. The same goes for Ardern, by the way.

              • Rosie …
                22 May 2016 at 5:10 pm

                I don’t have the inside knowledge that yourself and CV have (even if you have different perceptions)of the internal workings of the NZLP but I’d say Andrew Little is doing a fine and steady job. There have even been times when I’ve been impressed with him, most recently during his low key on the level response the Hagaman threat.

                And, you know, I voted for him last on my ballot paper! I was a major Cunliffe fan girl. I was gutted about how things turned out, but Little has settled in, he will be the right person to lead the next government. There won’t be fireworks but there is heaps to do and heaps to mend and he can be the one to get that process started.

                To vote and change leaders yet again would be such a dogs breakfast and make the party look unstable. The election is only next year so we just gotta buckle down and focus on kicking these nation destroying bastards out.

                • Whateva next? …
                  22 May 2016 at 9:56 pm

                  Absolutely, I liked D.C but grew weary of the polarising effect he sadly seemed to have. I did vote for Andrew and was utterly convinced about his integrity and ability to steer a steady course and unite the caucus, without which there was no point in carrying on. I noticed that when we were at the first hustings, all four candidates were understandably nervous and busy readying themselves reading their notes…..Andrew simply sat and looked out at us, calmly and confidently, interested in US, not worried about himself.
                  He has achieved this and now we can carry on with the rest of it now.

            • Bill 1.1.1.1.1.2
              22 May 2016 at 3:03 pm

              My tuppence worth would be (first penny) – if Labour chose leaders via an election system of one person, one vote, then possibly.

              Penny two – Labour, and this is in no way limited to Labour, seems to position itself within a TINA framework on too many issues, and so is essentially dead to too many people.

              And if I can up my tuppence to thrupence – distilling political rumblings from across the English speaking world suggests that a seismic shift in peoples’ political expectations and demands is under way – and that most political parties are going to be caught flat footed.

          • Olwyn 1.1.1.1.2
            22 May 2016 at 2:16 pm

            @ CV: Suppose you are right about this, as things stand, and that you and Swordfish were largely right in your talk of factions on yesterday’s open mike. This actually gives reason to campaign for a Labour victory with a particular end in mind – to gain the government benches with the nonaligned Little in charge at best, and to increase the size of the Labour caucus at worst. This is not a “vote for the least-worst argument”, although prima facie it may look like one.

            Firstly, careerists are not all the same – some will move leftward if that looks like the thing to do. So an increased caucus would allow room for a change of direction that would take at least some careerists along with it. Secondly, while some are said to be retiring soon, the Labour caucus has had less staff turnover in the past eight years than most businesses, which means entrenched office politics among a static group. This presents Little with an impasse: in a way, he can’t increase the size of the caucus without first increasing the size of the caucus. Joining Labour to push for an acceptable leader has not got us far, though it has got us somewhere – Little is not one of the entrenched right-wing /careerist lot. Maybe the next move is to activate the membership and the sympathetic left to fight from the outside to increase the Labour vote, and thus the size of the caucus, without necessarily giving our allegiance to particular individuals we think have let us down.

            • Colonial Viper 1.1.1.1.2.1
              22 May 2016 at 2:57 pm

              Hi Olwyn,

              You pose serious scenarios with serious rationales. I agree with the guts of what you have to say about the psychology of the Labour caucus. It is under real pressure currently.

              Most of the List only MPs in that caucus are only a hairs breadth away from losing their positions at the party vote ballot box.

              Also with your analysis of how intransigent the situation Little faces with some of his most influential MPs is. One of the things which finished Cunliffe was that Cunliffe had zero plan to deal with that.

              I will add in one more factor. IMO Winston will find it politically impossible (both internally and externally to NZF) to justify supporting a Labour managed government if Labour get less than 30% at the polls.

              Let’s say Labour gets 27% in 2017, and National gets 45%.

              In such a situation I think Winston will end up providing de facto support to a National (minority) government even if he would prefer not to. Key will extend the NZF caucus a deal that they cannot refuse. Gold Card Mark 2, GST free rates, bump up to NZ Super, a Cabinet position for Winston and Ministers outside Cabinet positions for his top MPs, and more.

              Maybe the next move is to activate the membership and the sympathetic left to fight from the outside to increase the Labour vote, and thus the size of the caucus, without necessarily giving our allegiance to particular individuals we think have let us down.

              I can see where you are going with this. However, Labour has been bleeding its best activists and members for years now (and in some cases the local MP has been delighted to get rid of over-active members who cause more trouble to the MP’s particular desired status quo than they are worth). If Little wants to energise the latent support in the electorate for Labour and get a lot of on the ground activists back on side, he needs to offer the electorate serious, political economic alternatives to what National has been delivering.

              The concept of “activating the membership” in order to fire up a grass roots campaign for Labour is a great one but it is a concept only. There is no way of implementing that concept in practical terms as most Labour branches have decayed to inactive shadows of what they were even 10 years ago, there is no money in Wellington to provide to the branches for campaign activities, and from my perspective the charismatic leadership does not exist in the Labour hierarchy which can turn that switch on in the general membership and ‘wider left’ anyway.

              • Olwyn …
                22 May 2016 at 3:46 pm

                I do not think it would be easy to fire up the grass roots, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. The idea might be to seize opportunities where they arise, and support and strengthen the grass roots movements that currently exist, rather than overly concern ourselves with Labour branches. It is not a good idea to stand back and let Labour slowly die when we lack a serious alternative to it. We already have a right wing so licensed and full of hubris that it could practically get away with running over the peasants for fun – they will only get worse while we scurry around trying to pick up the pieces.

    • Paul 1.2
      22 May 2016 at 12:32 pm

      It would be good to hear Andrew Little and James Shaw speak in as forthright as a manner.

      • Colonial Viper 1.2.1
        22 May 2016 at 12:37 pm

        Just use your imagination, is what I will say. Then return to reality.

        This is a vindictive Labour hierarchy that has decided that Cunliffe belongs unranked on the back benches, in a short sighted attempt to drive him out of politics altogether.

        Cunliffe has some significant flaws as a political leader, but he still noticeably outshines the current leadership and the pretenders to that leadership.

        • Paul 1.2.1.1
          22 May 2016 at 12:39 pm

          Did you hear this?
          Needs to be published widely.
          About US and applies completely to New Zealand.

          http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/201801602

        • Paul 1.2.1.2
          22 May 2016 at 12:41 pm

          What did he do wrong?
          I guess he challenged the status quo.

          • Colonial Viper 1.2.1.2.1
            22 May 2016 at 1:38 pm

            He tried to placate the careerist and right wing MPs in his caucus not understanding that they were always going to be waiting for the right moment to slip the political knife between his ribs.

            He also let down many of his own supporters by giving up on his own direction and deciding to subsume his priorities to the business as usual Thorndon Bubble crowd.

            • Hanswurst 1.2.1.2.1.1
              22 May 2016 at 3:02 pm

              I wonder if he mightn’t be a little me forthright if given a second bite of the cherry.

        • Richardrawshark 1.2.1.3
          22 May 2016 at 1:29 pm

          David was always and still is my preferred leader. Unfortunately the right wing media hated his guts, or were to scared to give him a shot against Key they manipulated public perception against the man.

          Then some in Labour are again there for personal reasons of ambition not what Labour stands for. IE back stabbing abc’s

          Oh the above video looked like a Labour party weak version of the Nation.

          The presenter sure wasn’t making any pretence of impartiality was he.

          I turned it off after Cunliffe.

      • Chooky 1.2.2
        22 May 2016 at 12:40 pm

        if David Cunliffe were to come back as leader of the Labour Party i would vote Labour…as it is i am a nonfunctioning member…i joined to support David Cunliffe as the members choice

        so I will be voting Green /NZF…so no losses there

        ….however if Labour is to stop languishing in the polls …it really does have to think about how it played the leadership against Labour membership wishes

        • Paul 1.2.2.1
          22 May 2016 at 12:48 pm

          If David Cunliffe were to come back as leader of the Labour Party I would also vote Labour.

          So I will be voting for a party that provides the most vigorous alternative to neo-liberal capitalism.
          Struggling to notice it, though.

  2. Bill Drees 2
    22 May 2016 at 9:26 am

    Westminster Social Engineering

    The mortality rate is 15 percent higher in Glasgow across all social classes and ages, while premature mortality (dying under 65) is 30 percent higher, and much higher among the poorest in the city. The so-called ‘Glasgow effect’ means more people die from the cancer, heart disease, strokes as well as drugs, alcohol and suicide than do in other comparable cities.
    http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14493634.Revealed____39_Glasgow_effect__39__mortality_rate_blamed_on_Westminster_social_engineering/

    “Glasgow got a double-dose of neoliberalism – the UK Thatcherite version, and the more local version led by the Scottish Development Agency and the Council.

  3. AsleepWhileWalking 3
    22 May 2016 at 9:52 am

    Nice cartoon today title: Why not ask WINZ for some cake?
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/property/news/article.cfm?c_id=8&objectid=11642636

  4. AsleepWhileWalking 4
    22 May 2016 at 10:17 am

    “America should write the rules and call the shots” – President Obama

    An interesting episode of CrossTalk re the TPPA.

    • ianmac 4.1
      22 May 2016 at 11:54 am

      Watched that Asleep. Terrifying that USA can avoid being held to account and can a do attack any country with immunity. Drones. Iraq. Afghanistan. John Key.
      Veto Security Council.
      Bluddy Hell!

      • Chooky 4.1.1
        22 May 2016 at 12:14 pm

        +100…this is one of the best sites for debate and commentary on international current affairs imo…it always has international experts involved in the debates…leaves NZ tv and newspapers for dead!

        ( and I was put onto this site by The Standard…thanks!)

  5. dv 5
    22 May 2016 at 10:36 am

    Give a little Justice for Bessie has raised nearly $100k

  6. RedBaronCV 6
    22 May 2016 at 11:27 am

    Looks like the May Roy Morgan is out?

    • te reo putake 6.1
      22 May 2016 at 1:47 pm

      The RM consumer confidence survey was out a few days ago. No sign of the political poll yet. Generally they’re released later in the week, so maybe Thursday or Friday?

    • veutoviper 6.2
      22 May 2016 at 2:43 pm

      It does not appear to have been released formally as yet, although the Confidence Survey results have already been released as TRP mentions in his response.

      However ( a BIG OOOPS, perhaps) … the Party poll 15 May results appear to be up on the RM website in one graph (but not in the commentary which is still the April results) . – Click on this link and then go down to the first graph.

      http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6772-roy-morgan-new-zealand-voting-intention-april-2016-201604260544

      IF these May results are correct/finals then, compared to April: National is up from 42.5% to 45.5%; Labour up from 26.5% to 29.5%; Greens down from 14.5% to 12%; NZ First down from 12.5% to 9.5%; and Maori Party down from 1.5% to 1%.

      The graph does not show the undecided percentage or results for the other parties eg ACT, UF etc.

  7. Chooky 7
    22 May 2016 at 12:08 pm

    This is very good!…a feminist Accountant!

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/201801607/pala-molisa-a-ni-vanuatu-radical-accountant

    “Pala Molisa – A Ni Vanuatu Radical Accountant

    Pala Molisa is the son of two of the leading lights of Vanuatu’s independence movement, he represented Vanuatu in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games, and he’s an advocate of a radical new accountancy that brings a whole raft of social indicators to your typical balance sheet. Pala Molisa is a lecturer at Victoria University Business school.”

    • RedBaronCV 7.1
      22 May 2016 at 1:21 pm

      pretty sure he’s the guy that spoke at one of the climate change evenings in wellington and he got a huge ovation for best input of the night

    • joe90 8.1
      22 May 2016 at 1:07 pm

      meh – representatives of a group contributing less than 15% of government revenue say shit

      https://deborahfrussell.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/govtrevenue2015.png

    • RedBaronCV 8.2
      22 May 2016 at 1:30 pm

      Interesting The actual run a company ones wanted education investment , getting unemployment down (and improving wages?) and most mentioned enviroment concerns. The tourist ones wanted to socialise the costs of their industry, time for a bed tax on the multinational chains?? , the business group members seemed to be parroting the Nact party line. Perhaps the companies that pay membership fees to these groups need to make sure they are expressing their concerns not those of the Nact hierarchy.

    • Graeme 8.3
      22 May 2016 at 2:23 pm

      I’m pleasantly surprised by David Hisco’s (ANZ CE) focus on moving tourism up market and environmental focus. A refreshing contrast to Tim Alpe and Roger Brantsma who both play in the lower strata of the tourism market and can only see more, more and more of their low yielding customers and the socialisation of the resultant costs. However HIsco will get to see the performance of a wide range of tourism businesses and can see where the sustainable profits, and looming risks are.

      It’s also a considerable departure from current government policy around tourism, which is typified by Alpe and Brantsma’s views of more, more and more and stuff the yield.

      Angling for, or seeing a looming change of policy or government? This tourism business owner hopes so.

  9. adam 9
    22 May 2016 at 1:10 pm

    If you need a laugh

  10. adam 10
    22 May 2016 at 1:49 pm

    Seawards, go Seawards!!!

    • Colonial Viper 11.1
      22 May 2016 at 3:05 pm

      If these are stored on a computer or network, then the security services can access them in near real time.

    • Rosie 11.2
      22 May 2016 at 5:01 pm

      These are the buses I use in my neighbourhood. I noticed the sign about the audio recording on Thursday.

      I’ve no problem with it due to the reason the Mana bus boss points to:

      “That incident could range from and assault on a driver, a threat against a driver, a theft or attempted theft, through to a complaint from a passenger about a driver’s behaviour.”

      Believe me, that happens around here. You can also be on the bus in the middle of the day and there can be a bunch of drunk people down the back. The last time it happened it was no problem, they were all just singing their heads off and talking bollocks. No problem there, but what if it turned nasty if it can sometimes do when people are wasted and a bit unpredictable?

      Mostly theres no problems in my experience but there has been some times when drunk people have been a bit edgy and slagged off the driver.

      While I’m wary of surveillance intruding into our lives, mainly on line and on smart phones I’ve no problem with practical applications like this. I actually feel a little more secure seeing that sign about the audio the other day.

  12. Graeme 12
    22 May 2016 at 3:08 pm

    Liz Clark to contest Invercargill.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/80207129/dr-liz-craig-nominated-as-labours-candidate-for-invercargill

    I hope this doesn’t turn into a 3 way between Liz, Ria Bond and Sarah Dowie, that would be a waste and probably perpetuate Dowie’s existence. Also hope Liz gets a decent list place this time in case she’s only campaigning for party votes, we need her in the house with her health knowledge and sharp mind.

    This also provides an opening in Clutha Southland for a candidate with strong rural and small business credentials.

    • Colonial Viper 12.1
      22 May 2016 at 3:09 pm

      Liz Craig

    • cowboy 12.2
      22 May 2016 at 4:37 pm

      Graeme, I suggest it cant help but be a 3 way battle. Liz Craig will certainly be a credible challenger but the coverage to date has discounted the promising start Ria Bond has made down here at a grassroots advocacy level, which isn’t going unnoticed.

      I agree it would be good to see someone of Liz Craig’s ilk providing a much needed refreshing of labours list.

      As far as Clutha Southland is concerned I think the most interest will be around who NZ First will come up with as I think they have the best chance of giving Barclay a run for his money in the majority rural segment. Granted he has a massive majority but clearly he has struggled big time. Winston speaking in Gore tomorrow which should give a good gauge on how the Nats are rolling.

      • Graeme 12.2.1
        22 May 2016 at 5:39 pm

        I look forward to your report Cowboy, could be an interesting evening. Bit far away for me on a Monday unfortunately.

        • Cowboy 12.2.1.1
          22 May 2016 at 7:17 pm

          Might pop over for a look given weather for tomorrow not that condusive to getting much done. Will report if I do as it should be interesting to see how Winston is received in the deepest of blue national heartland.

  14. joe90 14
    22 May 2016 at 4:59 pm

    Surprise surprise….
    /

    Edward Snowden has responded to reports the CIA inspector general’s office “mistakenly” destroyed its only copy of a comprehensive Senate ‘torture report’ with a stinging rebuttal: “When the CIA destroys something, it’s never a mistake.”

    An intelligence agency was quoted by Yahoo News as saying CIA inspector general officials deleted an uploaded computer file containing the report, before “inadvertently” destroying a disk with the document on it.

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/edward-snowden-warns-cia-never-destroys-something-by-mistake-after-agency-claim-it-destroyed-copy-of-a7038206.html

  15. joe90 15
    22 May 2016 at 6:57 pm

    IDF deputy chief of staff Brigadier General Yair Golan delivered a Holocaust Memorial speech.

    Speaking to an audience gathered at Tel Yitzhak, a kibbutz in central Israel, Maj. Gen. Yair Golan, the Israeli Defense Forces deputy chief of staff, warned Israel that the Jewish state threatened to fall into a moral chasm like the one that befell Nazi Germany for its treatment of “foreigners” — read: Palestinians and African refugees.

    Here are some of his remarks [author’s translation]:

    “The Holocaust should bring us to ponder our public lives and, furthermore, it must lead anyone who is capable of taking public responsibility to do so. … Because if there is anything that frightens me in remembrance of the Holocaust, it is noticing horrific processes which developed … in Germany – 70, 80, and 90 years ago, and finding evidence of them here among us in the year 2016.”

    “The Holocaust … must bring us to … deep soul-searching regarding the responsibility of [our national] leadership and the quality of our society. It must lead us to fundamentally rethink how we, here and now, behave towards the other: the foreigner, the widow and the orphan [these are traditional Jewish social justice concepts].”

    “There is nothing easier and simpler than hating the foreigner … There is nothing easier and simpler than fear-mongering and making threats. There is nothing easier and simpler than behaving brutishly, being indifferent [to the plight of the Other], and self-righteous.”

    “On Holocaust Remembrance Day, it is worthwhile to consider our capacity to uproot the first buds of intolerance, violence, and self-destruction that lie on the path toward moral decay.”

    […]

    Characteristically, Golan was savaged for his outspokenness by far-right government ministers who harbor some of the same racist attitudes the major general was attacking.

    In this context, it’s worth examining a political controversy inflaming the British chattering and political classes. This one has inundated the Labour Party’s left-wing leadership with controversial attacks by the British pro-Israel lobby and the largely pro-Tory press.

    https://www.mintpressnews.com/israeli-defense-forces-general-likens-israel-1930s-germany-holocaust-remembrance-day/216436/

  18. The Chairman 18
    22 May 2016 at 9:53 pm

    Less than two years into a five-year plan with the Government to build 7000 new homes in the capital, the city council has admitted it will never achieve that goal, having missed every target along the way thus far.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/80226908/new-homes-cant-be-built-quick-enough-to-cool-wellingtons-hot-property-market

    • Colonial Viper 18.1
      22 May 2016 at 9:55 pm

      This is a country whose management which after years of planning couldn’t even get the trains to a Rugby World Cup opening.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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