Open mike 23/11/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, November 23rd, 2019 - 63 comments
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63 comments on “Open mike 23/11/2019 ”

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  1. Ad 1
    23 November 2019 at 8:20 am

    I found this relationship between climate change and colonialism a fresh angle:

    https://www.dw.com/en/amitav-ghosh-what-the-west-doesnt-get-about-the-climate-crisis/a-50823088

    • Jenny - How to Get there? 1.1
      23 November 2019 at 11:38 am

      Climate change is absolutely an aspect of empire," he says. "The British Empire was essentially built on fossil fuels: It was the British mastery of coal that gave it a huge military advantage over the rest of the world."

      That's also one reason why renewable energy is a threat to a system that the West has spent centuries building up and defending. "One thing you can be sure of," Ghosh says. "If renewables really were adopted at scale, it would completely shake up the global political order." He argues that oil and gas have to flow through maritime chokepoints controlled by the US, Australia, Britain and Canada, giving them a complete geopolitical advantage.

      Amitav Ghosh: What the West doesn't get about the climate crisis

      And it is no different here in this part of the world. When the Prime Minister of Tuvalu Enele Sopoaga and other Pacific leaders begged Australia to stop "opening coal mines" The deputy Prime Minister of Australia told them that if Pacific could survive climate change by picking Australia's fruit.

      https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/2019/08/pacific-islanders-can-survive-climate-change-by-picking-aussie-fruit-deputy-pm-michael-mccormack-says.html

      • Dukeofurl 1.1.1
        23 November 2019 at 2:06 pm

        You and Amitav Gosh have the timelines wrong .

        The Coal powered Royal Navy only lasted from 1871- 1914, well after the main territorial grab had completed.

        Absolutely the Empire was built on Royal Navy powered by sail. The real reason was Britain was a maritime power long before the Industrial revolution. On a smaller scale in the Mediterranean, Venice a maritime power, had many colonies to support its trade.
        Trouble with people who dont know their history reading other stuff by people who dont know their history either.
        Free commentary is largely worthless

        • Jenny - How to Get there? 1.1.1.1
          23 November 2019 at 7:26 pm

          The imperialism and colonialism being referenced by Amitav Gosh is not the imperialism of 19th Century British Imperialism.

  2. Adrian Thornton 2
    23 November 2019 at 8:35 am

    Jeremy Corbyn launches Labour Party manifesto…aahhh the sweet sound of a real Labour party, committed to radical and transformative change…quite a contrast to the weak insipid centrist liberal pragmatic New Zealand Labour that inspires no one, and laughs in the face of transformative change…

    • KJT 2.1
      23 November 2019 at 8:48 am

      As our politicians generally copy the UK, a few years later, whether it works, post war Labours social welfare, or not, Thatcherism. There may be hope for us yet.

      • francesca 2.1.1
        23 November 2019 at 9:55 am

        I thought our welfare system preceded that of the UK when Michael Savage came to power in 1935.

        It was NZ who led the way and provided a model for those who came after

        • joe90 2.1.1.1
          23 November 2019 at 10:39 am

          Imperial Germany.

          Bismarck was motivated to introduce social insurance in Germany both in order to promote the well-being of workers in order to keep the German economy operating at maximum efficiency, and to stave-off calls for more radical socialist alternatives. Despite his impeccable right-wing credentials, Bismarck would be called a socialist for introducing these programs, as would President Roosevelt 70 years later. In his own speech to the Reichstag during the 1881 debates, Bismarck would reply: "Call it socialism or whatever you like. It is the same to me."

          The German system provided contributory retirement benefits and disability benefits as well. Participation was mandatory and contributions were taken from the employee, the employer and the government. Coupled with the workers' compensation program established in 1884 and the "sickness" insurance enacted the year before, this gave the Germans a comprehensive system of income security based on social insurance principles. (They would add unemployment insurance in 1927, making their system complete.)

          https://web.archive.org/web/20190928175734/https://www.ssa.gov/history/ottob.html

          • Adrian 2.1.1.1.1
            23 November 2019 at 12:35 pm

            I was under the impression that Bismarck needed to bring in social security because the usual suppliers of troops in those days were all broke and nobody would fight because under the serf like indentured for life system the insolvent Counts and Dukes who normally supplied the troops to Bismarck etc, also cared for the returning injured and widows and orphans as part of the deal.

            • Dukeofurl 2.1.1.1.1.1
              23 November 2019 at 1:58 pm

              Counts and Dukes were largely irrelevant by then, the Prussian military machine largely ran the Imperial army and navy

              the various stages were

              Health Insurance Bill of 1883

              Accident Insurance Bill of 1884

              Old Age and Disability Insurance Bill of 1889 ( age 70)

              Workers Protection Act of 1891

              Children's Protection Act of 1903

        • KJT 2.1.1.2
          23 November 2019 at 2:13 pm

          Actually about the same time in the USA, NZ and UK, if you look at the timelines.

          As a reaction to the depression. Which didn’t really end until the massive State spending for WW2.

          Elements were, of course, introduced at different times.

          • Dukeofurl 2.1.1.2.1
            23 November 2019 at 2:23 pm

            1898 . NZ Old age pension for 65 and over ( ahead of germany which was 70 till about 1913)

    • Sacha 2.2
      23 November 2019 at 8:51 am

      They shall sweep to sure victory! Oh, wait…

    • Buster12 2.3
      23 November 2019 at 9:58 am

      When your chances of winning are practically zero, may as well go all out.

      https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10350705/jeremy-corbyn-zero-chance-winning/

      • Adrian Thornton 2.3.1
        23 November 2019 at 11:23 am

        Are you seriously giving us a Sun link to prove a point about Corbyn..holy crap that is priceless.,.thanks for that, needed a bit of a chuckle.

      • Grafton Gully 2.3.2
        23 November 2019 at 12:15 pm

        He sounded good to me, definitely "all out" for government that supports people getting a fair chance in life, not just a privileged few. A Labour win looks far from zero.

        independent.co.uk/voices/boris-johnson-general-election-odds-prediction-win-forecast-trump-a9177856.html

      • Bg 2.3.3
        23 November 2019 at 6:52 pm

        BritBuild here we come!!!

      • Gabby 2.3.4
        23 November 2019 at 9:19 pm

        Well it's The Spun Buttster, they would say that.

    • Adrian 2.4
      23 November 2019 at 12:38 pm

      It would be great if it came to pass but he would need to get the Lib-Dems to go along with it, so good luck with that.

  3. Jenny - How to Get there? 3
    23 November 2019 at 11:17 am

    It is for uploading videos like this shot with head cams that give irrefutable proof of the Assad regime's war crimes that the White Helmets are marked for death by the regime and their Western quislings.



    • Adrian Thornton 3.1
      23 November 2019 at 11:28 am

      I am no defender of Assad, however the propaganda works both ways in that conflict (all conflicts)…

      'A whistleblower from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) is accusing top officials of tampering with evidence collected at the scene of an alleged chemical weapons attack in the Syrian city of Douma in April 2018.'

      Syria scandal: New whistleblower claims chemical weapons watchdog OPCW suppressed Douma evidence

        • francesca 3.1.1.1
          23 November 2019 at 5:05 pm

          Also interesting that Raed Saleh, the head of the White Helmets disputes the ubiquitous description of Le Mesurier as founder and trainer of the White Helmets.

          Le Mesurier's name is almost always followed by "founder and trainer of the White Helmets" and "ex British Army officer"Even his Wikipedia entry says this , and Le Mesurier never disputed it.

          "James was neither our founder nor our trainer. He was the CEO of Mayday, which supported the White Helmets."

          Saleh also says that he always "knew that le Mesurier was an ex British intelligence officer"

          https://www.haberler.com/raed-al-saleh-the-chairman-of-white-helmets-james-12632931-haberi/

          • Dukeofurl 3.1.1.1.1
            24 November 2019 at 9:27 am

            "the source of Le Mesurier's stress was him not being able to pay back a large amount of financial aid he had received."

            What was that all about , the western intell agencies that funded his dutch Stitching Mayday Rescue find out he had diverted money ?

        • Brigid 3.1.1.2
          23 November 2019 at 6:20 pm

          I would have thought a busted aorta was a natural consequence of his body hitting a solid structure at a velocity of 9.8m/s. I bet his other organs were similarly squished.

      • Brigid 3.1.2
        23 November 2019 at 8:11 pm

        But it's not for us to defend Assad or otherwise. It is the sole and undoubted right of Syrians alone.

        In 2014 they voted most expressly for Assad as President. The next elections are in 2021 and if they vote for him again, that remains to be seen. While there were only 3 nominees in 2014, its expected there will be many more in 2021.

    • Brigid 3.2
      23 November 2019 at 7:52 pm

      That's hilarious. Head cam you say. So why wasn't the wearer helping to extract the 'injured child'

      I wouldn't let those morons anywhere near my child.

      All it refutes is good acting. If Richard Chamberlain was offered a role I'd say even he would have turned it down.

      The Syrian Arab Red Crescent, founded in 1942, the only first response organisation in Syria was admitted to the International Committee of the Red Cross in 1946.

      They do not carry cameras while carrying out their duty.

    • greywarshark 3.3
      24 November 2019 at 11:18 am

      I've put a comment in How to Get There that relates to refugees and wars and the devastation and cruelty that grand schemes from above with no count of human suffering, impose on hapless people.

  5. A 5
    23 November 2019 at 1:06 pm

    Just saw this…maybe someone posted but I missed it. JA's just darling x

    • Dukeofurl 5.1
      23 November 2019 at 2:12 pm

      Key: $10k Letterman payment 'not new'

      "Mr Key said someone at Tourism New Zealand thought of trying to get him on the show when Letterman made a comment about loving New Zealand. They put together a tape and sent it to the show.

      That was how these things worked, he said.This is showbiz and there's a whole lot of people who work through that, but in the end, New Zealanders have to ask themselves, `did they get value for money?"

      But its different when Key and his PR people do it …. well 5min worth anyway.

  6. Fireblade 6
    23 November 2019 at 3:10 pm

    The National Party Foundation and Dodgy Donations.

    Newshub Reports:

    Jami-Lee Ross said NZ First's foundation was modelled on the National Party's and operates in largely the same way, and there's little the Electoral Commission can do.

    Ross said political party foundations exist only as a way of obscuring donors' identities and should be abolished.

    Ross also claims National MPs face 'repercussions' if they miss fundraising target. "If you did not fundraise your $30,000 or $20,000, you weren't allowed to go to selection. Every MP was also expected to ensure there were donations going into the National Foundation".

    National Party president and chair of the National Foundation board Peter Goodfellow told Newshub Nation "It is correct that our local party electorate committees are set and supported to achieve KPIs before proceeding to a candidate selection," said Goodfellow. The party acknowledged targets do exist.

    Newshub contacted Simon Bridges' office, which declined to comment.

    Ironically when he was a National MP in Government, the job of securing donations that could slip through the cracks often fell to Ross, as he wasn't a minister and therefore not subject to the Official Information Act. He said he was a "product of the National Party" but has changed his views.

    The Serious Fraud Office is still investigating National Party donations.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2019/11/jami-lee-ross-claims-national-mps-face-repercussions-if-they-miss-fundraising-targets.html

    • Paddington 6.1
      23 November 2019 at 10:05 pm

      It seems obvious that those leaking the dirt on NZF are disgruntled ex NZF MP's/staffers etc. Jamie-Lee Ross is in the same boat. I'll happily wait for the results of independent investigations, because I don't trust any of them.

  8. joe90 8
    23 November 2019 at 7:35 pm

    Nope, not a fake cow taking the piss. .

    A lawyer for an indicted associate of Rudy Giuliani tells CNN that his client is willing to tell Congress about meetings the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee had in Vienna last year with a former Ukrainian prosecutor to discuss digging up dirt on Joe Biden.

    The attorney, Joseph A. Bondy, represents Lev Parnas, the recently indicted Soviet-born American who worked with Giuliani to push claims of Democratic corruption in Ukraine. Bondy said that Parnas was told directly by the former Ukrainian official that he met last year in Vienna with Rep. Devin Nunes.

    "Mr. Parnas learned from former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Victor Shokin that Nunes had met with Shokin in Vienna last December," said Bondy.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/22/politics/nunes-vienna-trip-ukrainian-prosecutor-biden/index.html

  9. Sacha 9
    23 November 2019 at 7:41 pm

    Locals convinced they know best: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/117643714/mt-albert-tree-removal-date-for-hui-announced

    "The occupation will continue until we are assured the trees are safe."

  10. Ad 10
    23 November 2019 at 9:56 pm

    Just in case anyone missed Stephen Colbert in the Central Otago mountains, bungy jumping, revealing in the hospitality of Air New Zealand and otherwise praising us to the gills, here he is:

  11. Eco maori 11
    25 November 2019 at 10:01 am

    You can not listen to the naysayers climate change deniers who put down green energy any chance they manufacture.

    The World can be powered by clean green energy.

    Solar farms can keep UK’s lights on even at night

    Trial shows panels can smooth voltage fluctuations in the National Grid

    Solar farms could soon play a vital role in the energy system 24 hours a day, after a breakthrough trial proved they can even help balance the grid at night. National Grid used a solar farm in East Sussex to help smooth overnight voltage fluctuations for the first time earlier this month, proving solar farms don’t need sunshine to help keep the lights on.

    The breakthrough could mean that UK solar farms will soon help stabilise the energy grid at night, which could save £400m on grid upgrades or building new power plants. “Inverters” at the solar farm are usually used in the process of converting solar energy to electric current. But at night, when the grid is often less stable, the same equipment can adapt grid electricity to a healthier voltage.

    On blustery nights with plenty of wind power but little demand, the solar farm could help prevent the energy grid’s voltage from rising too high. It could also prevent the voltage from falling too low during still nights in winter when demand is often high.

    Lightsource BP will carry out a second trial next month, and it hopes to strike its first commercial deal to help balance the electricity grid with National Grid next year.

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/24/solar-farms-keep-uk-lights-on-at-night

  12. Eco maori 12
    25 November 2019 at 10:40 am

    I back Aquaculture especially if it revitalise and protects our endangered wild fish's.

    $14m bid to make Westport 'whitebait capital of world' gets backing

    The man who pioneered whitebait farming in New Zealand is backing claims that Westport has the potential to be the whitebait capital of the world.

    The industry is in its infancy right now but in years to come I predict it'll be as big as mussel-farming in NZ, he said.

    Over eight years he and his team found ways to breed all five of New Zealand's native whitebait species, including the endangered giant kōkopu.

    They were so successful that they were able to start commercial production in 2014. The Warkworth fish farm now employs 12 staff and produces two tonnes of Manaaki Whitebait a year.

    "Westport would be the perfect location for a farmed whitebait set-up. You need access to clean freshwater and seawater for the tanks as well as land to build on because it's an entirely closed operation. Westport has all that in abundance.

    "It takes millions of investment dollars and time to build up your breeding stock. You can't take the adult fish from the wild because they're protected; you have to breed them up from bait and wait a couple of years till they can breed themselves

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/404037/14m-bid-to-make-westport-whitebait-capital-of-world-gets-backing

  13. Eco maori 13
    25 November 2019 at 12:20 pm

    As some people will know I won't debate my views of Our reality I just put them on this site. I new that there a many positive outcomes to planting billions of trees. So let's plant billions of trees in the correct places put a lot of planning into how the tree are going to effect the local environment and economic effects.

    On tree planting, we should take a leaf out of Ethiopia’s book

    Tree planting is suddenly the zeitgeist. Tabloid newspapers, utility companies and oil corporations are pledging to plant trees by the million, in some cases before Christmas. Even the Brexit party is on to it. The Woodland Trust has launched its “big climate fightback”. This Thursday, on Channel 5, Chris Packham and John Humphrys host Plant a Tree to Save the World.

    In July, Ethiopia began a huge nationwide strategy in which 350m trees were planted in one day (at current rates in England and Wales, this would take us 140 years). In 2017, 1.5 million Indian volunteers planted 66m trees in 12 hours in Madhya Pradesh. The government in New Zealand launched a plan to plant a billion trees by 2027 (including 83m this year). In Pakistan, the programme to plant a billion trees to combat the effects of climate change was completed ahead of schedule in 2017. Their new target is 10bn trees.

    Trees give life. It’s hard to overstate their benefit. They are fundamental to our rural and urban landscapes, our lives and the future of this planet. Trees reduce soil degradation on farms, provide vital habitat for wildlife, supply us with food, heat and medicine, safeguard water quality, give shade, build biodiversity and create spaces to walk lightly and breathe deeply in our cities. Trees diminish flood risk, improve air quality by absorbing pollution and yield a renewable resource in the form of timber. Most importantly, in the climate emergency, trees sequester carbon. They absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, storing it in their trunks, branches and roots, before releasing oxygen back into the air. Trees mitigate climate change and tree planting is now recognised as one of the best ways to tackle this global crisis.

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/24/with-the-earth-in-peril-planting-a-tree-is-an-act-of-faith

  14. Eco maori 14
    25 November 2019 at 2:43 pm

    The Sumatran rhino is now officially extinct in Malaysia, with the death of the last known specimen.

    The 25-year-old female named Iman died on Saturday on the island of Borneo, officials say. She had cancer.

    Malaysia's last male Sumatran rhino died in May this year.

    The Sumatran rhino once roamed across Asia, but has now almost disappeared from the wild, with fewer than 100 animals believed to exist. The species is now critically endangered

    No more than 100 Sumatran rhinos remain in the wild (some estimates put the number as low as 30), scattered on the islands of Sumatra, Indonesia

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50531208

  15. Eco maori 15
    25 November 2019 at 3:00 pm

    O no no no the system looks perfect through my rose tinted glasses.

    YEA RIGHT.

    Emma Espiner: Entitled little pricks

    Newsroom columnist and medical student Emma Espiner hopes a rort at the University of Otago over a final-year overseas elective won't end up punishing all aspiring young doctors.

    You could see the train wreck coming from a mile away. I was in Nelson for work, having just finished my 5th year exams. It was a sunny morning and I glanced at the news before walking out the door. The headline read “University of Otago investigating claims med students faked work placement records.”

    Then there’s the real me – a mum of a six-year-old, a grown-up with a mortgage and unpaid debt from the first time I went to university more than ten years ago, two part-time jobs and regular fights with my husband about how to correctly pack the dishwasher.

    The medical student in me wants to defend us. #notallmedstudents! I want to explain how the final year student grant really works – it’s not there to pay for the overseas elective! Most of us actually attend our elective placements!

    A small number of people really f…ed up. Whether it was common practice or not, bribing your way out of attending your elective by paying someone to falsely sign off your placement is an open and shut case of bad judgment

    Doctors have gone on the record to say they did those things too when they were medical students. Someone’s parents talked to RNZ arguing that their child was being scapegoated for a practice that’s been going on forever

    I remember talking to investigative journalist Kirsty Johnston at The Herald after she wrote her piece last year titled ‘Want to be a doctor, lawyer or engineer? Don't grow up poor.’ Her investigation highlighted the astonishingly low rates of entry to ‘elite’ university courses by students from low-decile schools.

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/11/25/917741/emma-espiner-entitled-little-pricks

  16. Eco maori 16
    25 November 2019 at 6:27 pm

    Kia Ora 1 News.

    I could see that City was loaded with PEE problems.

    Desperate.

    I think some people think they know what the pulse is in public opinion but a lot of water has flowed under the bridge in the last few years.

    Its sad that the Koala Bears become famous because of bushfires

    Some people got their nickers in a twist because of one of my post today.

    Ka kite Ano

  17. Eco maori 17
    25 November 2019 at 6:49 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Intelligent people can see the blue strings.

    Those anti meat groups are being played like puppets by the carbon barons its there distraction like cow farts to divert the attention from there carbon polluting the World that's one part of Sun Tzu tack ticks

    Ka kite Ano

  18. Eco maori 18
    26 November 2019 at 8:28 am

    Kia Ora Breakfast

    You guys are going to get laughed out of Aotearoa with you rhetoric anti meat. The Amazon way of farming has nothing to do with Aotearoa majority humane way of farming meat we just have to minimise water usage and carbon a bit of fine tuning lower our carbon footprint in the way we farm.

    That's awesome rainfall in Australia putting out some of the Bush fires.

    The UN report on record breaking greenhouse gases the reason it has taken 30 years to get this topic to mainstream minds is the carbon barons have been using the art of distraction magician use that tack tick and others to fool you.

    Ka kite Ano

  19. Eco maori 19
    26 November 2019 at 10:34 am

    This is positive we have to focus on cutting carbon out of our economy's.

    Global use of coal-fired electricity set for biggest fall this year

    Four decades of near-uninterrupted growth stoked global climate crisis

    The world’s use of coal-fired electricity is on track for its biggest annual fall on record this year after more than four decades of near-uninterrupted growth that has stoked the global climate crisis.

    Data shows that coal-fired electricity is expected to fall by 3% in 2019, or more than the combined coal generation in Germany, Spain and the UK last year and could help stall the world’s rising carbon emissions this year

    The steepest global slump on record is likely to emerge in 2019 as India’s reliance on coal power falls for the first time in at least three decades this year, and China’s coal power demand plateaus.

    Both developing nations are using less coal-fired electricity due to slowing economic growth in Asia as well as the rise of cleaner energy alternatives. There is also expected to be unprecedented coal declines across the EU and the US as developed economies turn to clean forms of energy.

    In almost 40 years the world’s annual coal generation has fallen only twice before: in 2009, in the wake of the global financial crisis, and in 2015, following a slowdown in China’s coal plants amid rising levels of deadly air pollution

    The US – which is backing out of the Paris agreement – has made the deepest cuts to coal power of any developed country this year by shutting coal plants down in favour of gas power and renewable energy. By the end of August the US had reduced coal by almost 14% over the year compared with the same months in 2018.

    The EU reported a record slump in coal-fired electricity use in the first half of the year of almost a fifth compared with the same months last year. This trend is expected to accelerate over the second half of the year to average a 23% fall over 2019 as a whole. The EU is using less coal power in favour of gas-fired electricity – which can have roughly half the carbon footprint of coal – and renewable energy is increasingly more cost effective than coal

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/nov/25/global-use-of-coal-fired-electricity-set-for-biggest-fall-this-year

  20. Eco maori 20
    26 November 2019 at 12:21 pm

    Whats the sis doing wasting tax payers money and time following a broke ass Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa around every minute of the day

    Ka kite Ano

  21. Eco maori 21
    26 November 2019 at 6:26 pm

    Kia Ora 1 News.

    That's is good for small contractors getting laws to protect them. Most companies get contractors to limit their liability and expenses.

    Yes I think that is the goal we should aim for halfing our carbon emissions in the next 10 years.

    Awsome taking that person to court because he was spreading Kauri Dieback to Tane Mahuta and his mokopuna.

    Ka kite Ano

  22. Eco maori 22
    26 November 2019 at 6:53 pm

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Condolences to the people who losted their Tane to the system in Tauranga

    Desperate its his m8 that control some of them nurture them.

    That's a great move a railway hub in Palmerston especially with global warming and the Manawatu gorge being closed Aotearoa need to spend A billion dollars on rail to make railway electric and get the old lines fixed.

    Ka pai to the Wahine with her Christmas waiata Mana Wahine.

    Ka kite Ano

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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
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    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

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