Open mike 24/09/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, September 24th, 2023 - 60 comments
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60 comments on “Open mike 24/09/2023 ”

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  1. Mike the Lefty 1
    24 September 2023 at 8:09 am

    I suppose it is because nearly all of us have smartphones and computers that automatically adjust the time but do you notice that there is almost no publicity now about the changeover dates for Daylight Saving Time?

    I woke up this morning thinking I had slept late and only discovered it was DST hours when looking at a Mitre 10 website and saw a reference to their new trading hours.

    Some things creep up on you unaware.

    Must be getting old, but surely the phone companies could send you a message the night before!

    • bwaghorn 1.1
      24 September 2023 at 2:04 pm

      That'll be why I didn't wake up to 730 am, didn't realize till I read your comment, love ds personally

  2. Ad 2
    24 September 2023 at 8:46 am

    Good to see my candidate Ethan Reille get an interview on Stuff.

    Maybe he could have something more to say other than that he is young.

  3. PsyclingLeft.Always 3
    24 September 2023 at 9:00 am

    Election 2023: Winston Peters in Epsom, David Seymour’s hood, raising potential headaches for Christopher Luxon

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/election-2023-winston-peters-in-epsom-david-seymours-hood-raising-potential-headaches-for-christopher-luxon/UIGDWSHEDREHTOYKZZONN52LHM/

    Article is paywalled..but some of the tone can be gathered from the link video…. Winston massaging his target audience with what they want to hear.

    The Happy Clappers : )

    • PsyclingLeft.Always 3.1
      24 September 2023 at 9:10 am

      Well this article is not paywalled..and IMO gives a good account of W Peters in full hyperbolic flight.

      Also carries his ACT attack into Seymour heartland…in more than one way : )

      And so it was on Friday, deep inside Act leader David Seymour’s territory at the Remuera Club in Auckland, the NZ First leader took his place at the matinee session pulpit and preached to his choir.

      https://www.newsroom.co.nz/a-country-for-old-men

      Lol that header .."A Country for old men" …

      And…keep up the infight guys. Onya !

  4. Dennis Frank 4
    24 September 2023 at 9:06 am

    Nice retrospective on one of them Motueka communes I kept hearing about but was too busy to check out at the time: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018908219/olive-jones-anarchy-and-idealism-at-the-graham-downs-commune

    The anarchy/idealism/practicality nexus was explored by Kim & Olive with suitable reference to key points – nuanced, and excellent cultural analysis.

    I have to admire anyone who could hack it for a decade. My effort up at Reef Point only lasted three weeks in the late summer of '72. Human nature needs constraints – whether rules or laws – bounds are part of nature. Conventions & guidelines often don't suffice when politics plays out in local communities. When powerful folk compete, the group needs a referee to call time out when necessary. A method to control the dark side of human nature also must be incorporated for communal resilience…

  5. Francesca 5
    24 September 2023 at 9:26 am

    Yes, my experience was mixed .Wonderful times, generosity, working together on big projects, child rearing not so isolating, mutual support amongst the women , true friendships.

    But, invariably one person would emerge, without exception a man with a giant insane prophet complex ,who would rule the roost and try and conduct soviet style (or kangaroo…take your pick)purity trials .I recognise the same thing today, gone mainstream , very USSR.

    Pain in the arse.

    But I know of other communes still operating very happily and functionally today, who have opted for pragmatism over nutty ideology

    • Dennis Frank 5.1
      24 September 2023 at 9:33 am

      Yeah pragmatism was my eventual stance too. I was ever so peace love & harmony at first. Did you know that there's an excellent survey of all the kiwi communes in print?

      I read it as a library book maybe 10-15 years back, forget the title but it was two women I vaguely recall wrote it…

  6. Dennis Frank 6
    24 September 2023 at 10:05 am

    Damien Grant's subtle put-down of animal cunning:

    National is little better. They are promising a “Back Pocket Boost” by cutting taxes for locals, who can vote, by taking cash off foreigners, who cannot. It isn’t exactly a thousand points of light; is it?

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300975763/can-we-believe-political-slogans

    Slogan that work impress people though, and political operators who make voters see a way to take money off wealthy visiting foreigners and sell it as altruism are cunning. Reagan called Bush Snr a wimp so his thousand points of light, though it got him the US presidency, was probably hallucinated by a staffer on LSD.

  7. fisiani 7
    24 September 2023 at 10:35 am

    TV1 poll on Wednesday will be interesting. Predictions? How low can Labour drop to?

    [stop trolling or expect a ban – weka]

    [I’ve checked the mod notes now and see you have a few, including one that was a final warning. Banned until the end of the year to get well clear of the post-election period – weka]

    [permanent ban for trying to use an alias to get around a current ban, wasting moderator time, and continuing to troll – weka]

  8. adam 8
    24 September 2023 at 10:47 am

    God Bless the UAW!

    Some wins, but the strike spreads because the companies keep rejecting the deal.

  9. Dennis Frank 9
    24 September 2023 at 11:04 am

    When the process of capitalism stutters sufficiently that it seems likely to lurch into degrowth, pretend it isn't happening. Denial of reality works on the basis that nobody can prove it's real:

    First, everyone was resigning greatly, and now the ones left are quitting quietly. This trend, in which employees do the minimum and refuse to go above and beyond for their jobs, probably describes over half of the U.S. workforce, according to research from Gallup.

    The decline in engagement is related to a marked decline in several areas: clarity of expectations, opportunities to learn, feeling cared about, and having a connection to the organization’s purpose.

    Gallup has also found that disengagement is especially significant among younger workers and managers. It is easy to see quiet quitting as another manifestation of worker discontent in the wake of the pandemic, employment market chaos, and the trend toward remote work and virtualization. However, framing it this way places responsibility on individual employees rather than the organization. Casting blame on individuals or bemoaning a perceived lack of work ethic in a younger generation does not solve the problem.

    Fixing it requires taking a hard look at what organizations are offering their workers and considering whether it is sufficient. In many cases, it is not. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/disengagement-crisis-quiet-quitting-tacit-122400666.html

    When global media report such bad news, other global media ignore it if they don't like it. Manufacturing consent keeps the system going, so ignore the victims. Voters provide consent, so campaigners promise more of the same shit.

    • AB 9.1
      24 September 2023 at 11:29 am

      The story from Yahoo Finance jumps from one bogus explanation – that worker disengagement is a result of the pandemic and working at home – to a different one – that organisations are doing enough to meet workers' expectations. Both these fictions carefully skirt the truth – that many people hate being employed by anyone and that the indignities of the one-sided employer-employee power relationship might be tolerable most of the time, but they are are intrinsically demoralising and offensive. Expect significant fightback from business to discipline labour – clearly the Nats plan to crank up immigration even higher both directly and through selling residency in the guise of education (foreign students) – is designed to increase employee precarity.

      • PsyclingLeft.Always 9.1.1
        24 September 2023 at 11:38 am

        clearly the Nats plan to crank up immigration even higher both directly and through selling residency in the guise of education (foreign students) – is designed to increase employee precarity.

        And also the Housing Crisis? What crisis. Nats solution : They can live in a van..or car. Summer is coming…warmer weather . Tents maybe ?

      • Belladonna 9.1.2
        24 September 2023 at 1:52 pm

        Hmm. I don't know about "hate being employed by anyone". Most people know they have to work to keep food on the table (and the table in the rented accommodation). However, they feel (and are entitled to feel) that their relationship with their employer doesn't involve them giving the employer 'freebies' (out of hours work, overtime, etc.)

        Covid and the post-Covid world, where employers are desperate for workers (rather than the other way around) – has meant that employees no longer feel forced into making these sacrifices just to keep their job.

        Quiet quitting – is just not making a song and dance about your refusal to do more than you're paid for.

        And, in my personal, worked, experience – public service was the absolute *worst* employer for this kind of expectation. I can remember being told that I had to attend a site blessing at dawn, and then being forbidden to take the afternoon off (since I'd started work at 5am); being expected to attend evening PR events and weekend management workshops. Not to mention a regular 10 hour day (since it wasn't actually possible to do everything I was responsible for in 8 hours, role creep and unfilled vacancies)

        None of that happens in my current role in a business. If I work extra hours, I'm paid for them; if my job requires out-of-hours tasks, they're negotiated with me (and I'm compensated). If I want to take time off in lieu, or juggle my work day to accommodate family needs – not a problem. If my job changes (because I'm taking on a different area of responsibility in the company), I come to my boss with a salary request/negotiation, and reach a satisfactory agreement.

        None of this is new with this company (i.e. it's not post Covid). It's a smart strategy from the business to get and retain the best staff in a highly competitive environment (not many in NZ with this qualification set, those and in high demand)

        Of course, if you're talking about McDonalds level of employees – it's a different ballgame. But even there, front-line fast-food retail is struggling to retain workers.

        • AB 9.1.2.1
          24 September 2023 at 7:54 pm

          Yes, where employees hold power due to a perception that they have skills, then the employee-employer relationship can be a much more comfortable one. But not always, in some businesses it draws a target on the employee's back for cost reduction through outsourcing/offshoring. Where power is asymmetric, it can be a very unpleasant experience. But yes, I exaggerated.

    • bwaghorn 9.2
      24 September 2023 at 12:20 pm

      This quiet quitting is it really bad?

      Where I work there is a definite vibe that I'm a slacker because I only work 730, to 5 with an hour for lunch,(I set my hours) yet I get everything needed done and meet my targets,

      Waking up fresh each day surely gets you better outputs than running on e all the time.

      • Dennis Frank 9.2.1
        24 September 2023 at 1:13 pm

        My take is that it must be rather bad if Yahoo Finance are reporting it. Capitalists reporting bad news about capitalism doesn't usually happen. Yanks maybe in some kind of existential crisis? Just look at the Hollywood strike, for instance.

        Dunno about here tho. Perhaps somewhat, but everyone does a cost/benefit analysis intuitively to weigh how badly they need that job they're in. Pragmatism.

        • Belladonna 9.2.1.1
          24 September 2023 at 1:56 pm

          Over the last year or so – almost anyone with any level of qualification/experience has had the freedom to look around for a role with better pay/better conditions.

          Quiet quitting is more around no longer giving the employer anything they don't pay for, including role expansion without extra pay, and not agreeing to additional hours (unless the employee wants the cash).

          • bwaghorn 9.2.1.1.1
            24 September 2023 at 2:11 pm

            Most sheep n beef employees are salary, the culture on some is massive hours when busy , with times where you take it easy in return, funny thing is the give back bit really happens.

            Although the law bought in that means you can't work a salary earner more hours than what would put the employee under minimum hourly wage did help, .

            • weka 9.2.1.1.1.1
              24 September 2023 at 7:03 pm

              Although the law bought in that means you can't work a salary earner more hours than what would put the employee under minimum hourly wage did help, .

              is that per week? How many hours is it?

              • bwaghorn …
                24 September 2023 at 10:21 pm

                I pretty sure the law is on a per week basis, so you can't legally be worked past the point where you would be earning less than minimum wage, so I guess the higher the wage the more hours they can legally get out of you, unless ypu practices a bit of quit quitting 😉

                • weka …
                  25 September 2023 at 9:13 am

                  crickey. So if someone was on $100,000/year, that's say $2,000/wk, which means they could technically be expected up to work 88 hours a week 😬

                  I hope even NZ isn't that bad.

  10. joe90 10
    24 September 2023 at 11:18 am

    Half a million Tutsi were hacked to death with the machetes supplied by people like Kayondo.

    .

    Pierre Kayondo, a former Rwandan prefect suspected of having participated in the 1994 genocide in the country, has been indicted in Paris and imprisoned, AFP learned on Saturday.

    Kayondo was the subject of an investigation in France from the end of 2021 after a complaint from a collective of victims.

    […]

    The Rwandan former politician was the target of a complaint raised by the Collective of Civil Parties of Rwanda (CPCR) filed in September 2021, which gave rise to the rapid opening of a judicial investigation.

    In its complaint, the CPCR affirmed that Kayondo, "former prefect of Kibuye and former deputy" in Gitarama prefecture, had "actively participated in the organisation of the exterminations in Ruhango and Tambwe in Gitarama prefecture by allowing the constitution of Interahamwe militia groups, by providing weapons and participating in meetings".

    https://uk.news.yahoo.com/genocide-rwanda-former-prefect-indicted-100900418.html

    https://theafricancriminologyjournal.wordpress.com/2022/04/20/inside-the-hunt-for-one-of-the-worlds-most-wanted-men/

  11. SPC 11
    24 September 2023 at 11:44 am

    Interesting that one of the few columnists not paywalled on Stuff is Damien Grant, a libertarian with no progressive/egalitarian word on any topic.

    Talk about preparing us “common folk/proletariat/precariat/renters” for the ethos of a NACT regime where the most protected species of haves in the OECD are catered to (35/36 have a CGT 24/36 have an estate tax, many have stamp duties and land banking rules etc).

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300975763/can-we-believe-political-slogans

    • bwaghorn 11.1
      24 September 2023 at 12:15 pm

      Atleast the guys honest, surly if his beliefs are spotlighted they'll hurt act, the whole tax is theft ideology from a their defies belief!!

  12. SPC 12
    24 September 2023 at 11:57 am

    How many floods in one year before voters get it, that raiding a fund for response to action on climate change events for tax cuts is gross incompetence.

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2023/09/weather-bay-of-plenty-to-be-drenched-but-reprieve-from-wild-weather-on-the-way-for-new-zealand.html

    • AB 12.1
      24 September 2023 at 12:37 pm

      Voters won't get it until their insurance company walks away from them, then they become homeless and broke in the next extreme event, then they are corralled into trailer parks that are essentially permanent, internal refugee camps, then they lose their jobs because local businesses can't survive, then they decamp to the cities to live in crappy, overcrowded rentals paying huge amounts to Luxon-style landlords while they compete for jobs with foreign students who have recently completed low-quality one-year diplomas in order to buy a pathway to citizenship. Then they'll be so shell-shocked and frightened that they'll vote for ACT or Vision NZ or some other far-right crackpot.

      • bwaghorn 12.1.1
        24 September 2023 at 1:05 pm

        Does kinda feel like we're circling the plug hole, one hopes a plug worth having turns up,but suspects that like a p addict well have to hit bottom first.

      • SPC 12.1.2
        24 September 2023 at 1:26 pm

        QFT territory and explains the wrong choices taken by our governments on so many occasions – not having state super in the 70's, the most unbalanced tax policy in the OECD since 1984-1991, and our reliance on migration for growth is indicative of acceptance of continuing low productivity and incomes. Which means declining infrastructure and inability to cope with

        1. water infrastructure costs (safe drinking water/wastewater) in the provinces.
        2. the costs of climate change on habitation in flood areas.
        3. an aging populations health needs and care.
        4. the growing numbers unable to work who cannot afford to pay market rents – the sick and the old (which will over-run state housing capacity).
        5. less ability to assist people into home ownership and raising a family.

        By the time we have finally have wealth taxation and means testing of super – the 2030's, it will be treading water/TINA time and the minimum required to remain some sort of also ran first world nation (second tier in terms of infrastructure and GDP per capita).

    • Drowsy M. Kram 12.2
      24 September 2023 at 5:25 pm

      yes

      “It means we are damned fools,” Hansen said of humanity’s ponderous response to the climate crisis. “We have to taste it to believe it.”

      Dim bulb-Brownlee was incandescent with rage about 'nanny state' energy-efficient lighting. The well-being of spaceship Earth – our only home – isn't a NAct priority.

      National vows to go back to drawing board on policy [3 May 2023]
      “I am here to get things done, I am sick of inactions, and I make no apology for that,” Luxon said.

      “It’s a case of slower to go faster. We have more coming out [on the ETS]. It’s a watch this space.”

      Real Solutions for the Environment and the Climate
      ACT will introduce a no-nonsense climate change plan which ties our carbon price to that of our trading partners.

      ACT was the only party to oppose the Zero Carbon Act.

      "It’s a case of slower to go faster." Sounds ponderous – back to the drawing board?

  13. Anne 13
    24 September 2023 at 1:05 pm

    You paint a grim picture AB but its probably true. Watching Q&A this morning was an eye opener. At one point Jack Tame produced some polling figures which included the result of a question along the lines "are you prepared to pay a bit more in tax in order to combat climate change?" A healthy majority said "No". Yet climate change is considered in most polls as the top serious problem facing the country.

    So based on that result it would seem the voters want certain things to happen but are not prepared to pay for it. A bit schizophrenic imo.

    Edit: Someone may recall the actual wording of that question.

    • psych nurse 14.1
      24 September 2023 at 2:01 pm

      At least Kiwi's will be on the winning team, All Black rejects in Aki and Lowe.

      • bwaghorn 14.1.1
        24 September 2023 at 2:15 pm

        Aki had a ripper, the amount of try line pressure Ireland soaked up at times without conceding penalties shows a team in top form.

    • Hunter Thompson II 14.2
      24 September 2023 at 2:15 pm

      They'd be a good bet for sure, along with SA (their scrum was dominant) and England.

      It may come down to the bounce of the ball, or the ref doing a Wayne Barnes and not seeing a forward pass.

      I don't rate the ABs given their performance vs France.

  15. Catherine Bindon aka Rosie 15
    24 September 2023 at 3:59 pm

    Kia ora

    Interested to know if any left women here at The Standard who have been pushed off social media due to intense misogynistic trolling during the election cycle we are in. This has mainly been occuring on the Labour Party page, Green Party page and even our council page any time there is any discussion of te reo Maori. Feels not just RW but RW/conspiracy theorist hybrid troll types.

    Would be interested to know of any sites where women can safely speak, that is not terfy/transphobic. I have had to shut down my FB page and with that, my animal welfare page. Sucks.

    • SPC 15.1
      24 September 2023 at 4:31 pm

      Look at the Feeds here and at No Right Turn.

      • SPC 15.1.1
        25 September 2023 at 2:07 pm

        Wider afield.

        And moving forward Mastodon (in development as an alternative to X).

        One of the most important differences is that Mastodon is a completely decentralized network, where thousands of servers are linked together to create content. The best part, each user can have their own server, which gives them a power they didn't have before.

        Or BlueSky (also in development as an alternative to X)

        Otherwise Discord.

        • Catherine Bindon aka Rosie 15.1.1.1
          25 September 2023 at 4:30 pm

          Thanks again. It was only the faceblabblabblab I was on but I know of folks who have moved over to Mastodon, who were formerly on X.

          Sounds interesting and thank you for being helpful. I'll have a look at Discord.

    • Visubversa 15.2
      24 September 2023 at 10:37 pm

      So – only "free speech" that you approve of then? If a woman cannot say what a woman is – then where do we have women's rights at all?

      • Catherine Bindon aka Rosie 15.2.1
        25 September 2023 at 1:43 pm

        Thank you SPC.

      • Catherine Bindon aka Rosie 15.2.2
        25 September 2023 at 1:48 pm

        Not sure what you mean. I have been attacked for being a woman. What I was saying is I am not interested in the new faux feminism which is simply transphobia, and seems to be totally consumed by some invisible threat of public toilets. Think of groups like Let Women Speak. They simply promote hatred. That is not for me.

  16. AB 16
    24 September 2023 at 4:20 pm

    Who knew that Donald Trump is a radical proponent of 'transgender ideology'? Surprising it may be, but now a political PAC supporting Ron Desantis makes the case with this hilarious, bonkers ad. What fun. The bedfellows get odder and odder.

  17. joe90 17
    24 September 2023 at 8:59 pm

    Musk does Mengele with allegations of potential securities fraud, misleading comments about the primate deaths and focally tattered macaques.

    /

    For example, in an experimental surgery that took place in December 2019, performed to determine the “survivability” of an implant, an internal part of the device “broke off” while being implanted. Overnight, researchers observed the monkey, identified only as “Animal 20” by UC Davis, scratching at the surgical site, which emitted a bloody discharge, and yanking on a connector that eventually dislodged part of the device. A surgery to repair the issue was carried out the following day, yet fungal and bacterial infections took root. Vet records note that neither infection was likely to be cleared, in part because the implant was covering the infected area. The monkey was euthanized on January 6, 2020.

    Additional veterinary reports show the condition of a female monkey called “Animal 15” during the months leading up to her death in March 2019. Days after her implant surgery, she began to press her head against the floor for no apparent reason; a symptom of pain or infection, the records say. Staff observed that though she was uncomfortable, picking and pulling at her implant until it bled, she would often lie at the foot of her cage and spend time holding hands with her roommate.

    Animal 15 began to lose coordination, and staff observed that she would shake uncontrollably when she saw lab workers. Her condition deteriorated for months until the staff finally euthanized her. A necropsy report indicates that she had bleeding in her brain and that the Neuralink implants left parts of her cerebral cortex “focally tattered.”

    https://www.wired.com/story/elon-musk-pcrm-neuralink-monkey-deaths/

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    We have been on the road in England, squeezing down narrow lanes, flying up the M6, loving hedgerows and villages and cathedrals, liking the 21st century less.There have been moments when it’s felt like a movie trope. The pub in Exford, lovely seventeenth century bar, almost more dogs than people, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Seeing the Aurora Australis
    There’s a solar-storm on at the moment, and since the South Island is having a day and night with clear skies, that means Aurorae. I have just got back from a midnight visit to Tunnel Beach – southwards-looking over the Sea, and without the light pollution. Quite a few others ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • Welcome to the current welfare mess
    Michael Bassett writes – I’m not sure that it’s much comfort to anyone to know that the post-Covid surge in violent crimes, gang activity, ram raids, random shootings, thuggery and stabbings is occurring in other countries as well as New Zealand. These days, wagging school, out-of-control welfare and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • A shovel-ready autopsy
    Oliver Hartwich writes –  Cast your mind back to mid-December. A new Prime Minister had just been sworn in, the new Government started its 100-day programme, and Christmas was only days away.Amid all the haste, a report landed that would have deserved our attention.I am talking about the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Why we almost blacked out and how to fix it
    TL;DR: An unseasonally early icy blast at the same time as some long-overdue maintenance almost caused Aotearoa-NZ’s electricity system to black out this week. That’s because a quadropoly of gentailers1 have prioritised paying dividends from their rising profits and adding debt over investing in 1.5 GigaWatts of new wind farms ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • What Is Instagram Trying To Sell Us?
    Hi,Before we crack into today’s Webworm, I wanted to acknowledge the fact that Israel is pushing into Rafah. Over 100,000 Palestinians are now attempting to flee the one place that was deemed “safe”.Trouble is, the place they’re fleeing to is already destroyed. Total annihilation is the end goal here.“Israel is ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago

  • Precious Little Excitement: Warner Brothers, Peter Jackson, and Gollum
    Back in February 2023, I made the cardinal mistake of getting my hopes up. Warner Brothers declared that fresh Middle-earth movies were in the works: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/02/24/it-never-rains-but-it-pours-warner-brothers-and-impending-tolkien-adaptations/ My assumption, based on which rights were available, and what had already been done, was that this was a stab at either the Angmar ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago

  • Do We Need a Population Census?
    ‘It has been said that figures rule the world. Maybe. I am quite sure that it is figures which show us whether it is being ruled well or badly.’ GoetheI was struck at a recent conference on equity for the elderly, how many presenters implicitly relied upon Statistics New Zealand. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago

  • No, the govt will not be cutting back on every budget – and the Defence vote is among those to be ...
    Buzz from the Beehive Reporting on defence spending late last year, RNZ said the coalition government will have to make some tough calls this term to help the force address staff shortages and ageing infrastructure. “These are huge, huge amounts of government spending. It’s a significant proportion of the government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The Treasury and productivity
    Late last week The Treasury released a new 40 page report on “The productivity slowdown: implications for the Treasury’s forecasts and projections” (productivity forecasts and projections that is, rather than any possible fiscal implications – the latter will, I guess, be articulated in the Budget documents). In short, if (as it has) ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • The Controller and Auditor-General’s role
    Peter Dunne writes –  I am always wary when I hear that the Controller and Auditor-General has commented on or made recommendations to the government about an issue of public policy that does not relate strictly to public expenditure. According to the legislation, the role of the Controller ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • More harm than good
    How Labour’s and National’s failure to move beyond neoliberalism has brought NZ to the brink of economic and cultural chaos   Chris Trotter writes –  TO START LOSING, so soon after you won, requires a special kind of political incompetence. At the heart of this Coalition ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour
    And why did the Crown not challenge the Tribunal’s jurisdiction?   Gary Judd writes –  Retired District Court Judge, David Harvey, has posted on his A Halflings View Substack an excellent summary of Justice Isacs’ judgment declining to uphold the witness summons issued by the Waitangi Tribunal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
    Bryce Edwards writes – Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result?As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Macklemore's Pro-Palestinian Protest.
    Macklemore isn’t someone I’d usually think about. Sure I liked his big hit from a few years back, everybody did it was catchy and cool with some memorable lines. But if I was going to think of artists who might speak out on political matters or world events, he wouldn’t ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on miserly school lunches, and the banning of TikTok’s Gaza coverage
    Another week goes by in the Luxon government’s efforts to roll back the past 70 years of social progress. The school lunches programme is to be downgraded by $107 million, and women need bother their heads no longer about pay equity, let alone expect ACC to provide adequate sexual violence ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Weekly Roundup 10-May-2024
    Brrr, the first cold snap of the year. Hope you’re rugged up nice and warm. Here are some stories that caught our eye this week… This Week on Greater Auckland On Monday, we had a post from a new contributor, Connor Sharp, who dug into the public feedback ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago

  • The Hoon around the week to May 10
    Almost all of the Wellington City Council’s recommended zoning changes to allow many more apartments and townhouses in its inner-suburbs have been approved.Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for subscribers features co-hosts and , along with regular guest on geopolitics, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #19 2024
    Open access notables A Global Increase in Nearshore Tropical Cyclone Intensification, Balaguru et al., Earth's Future: Tropical Cyclones (TCs) inflict substantial coastal damages, making it pertinent to understand changing storm characteristics in the important nearshore region. Past work examined several aspects of TCs relevant for impacts in coastal regions. However, ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Losing confidence in the integrity of NZ elections
    Do you believe New Zealand runs its general elections fairly and competently? As a voter, can you be confident that the votes on your ballot will be counted towards the final result? As a political scientist, I’ve been asked these questions many times and always answered “yes”, with very few ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VIII
    Thus far May has followed on from a quiet April in the blogging department, but in fairness, it has been another case of doing what I am supposed to be doing, namely writing original fiction. Plus reading. So don’t worry – I have been productive. But in order to reassure ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago

  • Pretending to talk other people’s languages
    Fakes can come in many forms.A Rolex, for instance.A tan can be fake. Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • What’s new? A social agency with an emphasis on “investment” instead of “wellbeing” – b...
    Buzz from the Beehive A new government agency will open for business on July 1 – the Social Investment Agency. As a new standalone central agency effective from 1 July, it will lead the development of social investment across Government, helping ministers understand who they need to invest in, what ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago

  • Following the political money
    Bryce Edwards writes –    “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Hipkins would rather no one remember that he was Minister of Education
    Alwyn Poole writes –  After being elected to Parliament in 2008 the maiden speech of Hipkins was substantially around education policy. He was Labour’s spokesperson for education 2011 – 2017. He was Minister for Education from 2017 until February 2023. This is approximately 88% of the time Labour ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Fashionable follies
    Eric Crampton writes –  A fashion industry group is lobbying for protections. They make the usual arguments and a newer one. None of it makes sense. An industry group says it pumped $7.8 billion into the economy last year – that’s 1.9 percent of New Zealand’s GDP. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Justice for Bainimarama!
    In December 2006, Fiji's military leader Voreqe Bainimarama overthrew the elected government in a coup. He ruled Fiji for the next 16 years, first as dictator, then as "elected" Prime Minister. But now, he's finally been sent to jail where he belongs. Sadly, this isn't for his real crime of ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • March for Nature in June
    Don't like National's corrupt Muldoonist "fast-track" law? Aotearoa's environmental NGO's - Greenpeace, Forest & Bird, WWF, Coromandel Watchdog, Coal Action Network Aotearoa, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining, and others - have announced a joint march against it in Auckland in June: When: 13:00, 8 June, 2024 Where: Aotea Square, Auckland You ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Thursday May 9
    Seymour describes sushi as too woke for school meals. There are no fish sushi meals recommended by the School Lunches programme. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / Getty ImagesTL;DR: The Government will swap out hot meals for packaged sandwiches to save $107 million on school lunches for poor kids. MSD has pulled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago

  • The non-woke $3 Lunch.
    I don't mind stealin' bread from the mouths of decadenceBut I can't feed on the powerless when my cup's already overfilled, yeahBut it's on the table, the fire's cookin'And they're farmin' babies, while slaves are workin'The blood is on the table and the mouths are chokin'But I'm goin' hungry, yeahSome ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Labour’s chickens come home to roost
    The Ardern Government’s chickens came home to roost yesterday with the news that the country is short of natural gas. In 2018, Labour banned offshore petroleum exploration, and industry executives say that the attendant loss of confidence by the industry impacted overall investment in onshore gas fields. Energy Resources Minister ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago

  • Calvin Reviews Lord of The Rings
    Hi,If you’ve been digging through the newly launched Webworm store (orders are being dispatched worldwide as I type!) you’ll have noticed the best model we had was Calvin.This is Calvin.Calvin.Calvin is 7, and is the son of my producer over on Flightless Bird, Rob — aka “Wobby Wob”. Rob also ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago

  • Climate Adam: How to visualise Climate Change (ft. Katharine Hayhoe)
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Climate change is everywhere. And when something's everywhere it can feel like it's nowhere. So how do we get our heads ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago

  • The wrong direction
    Some good news on climate change today: the energy transition away from fossil fuels is picking up speed, and renewables now make up 30% of global electricity supply. Meanwhile, in Aotearoa, we're moving in the opposite direction, with Genesis Energy announcing that it will resume importing Indonesian coal. Their official ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • National hates democracy
    Its a law like gravity: whenever a right-wing government is elected, they start attacking democracy. And now, after talking to their Republican and Tory and Fidesz chums at the International Democracy Union forum in Wellington, National is doing it here, announcing plans to remove election-day enrolment. Or, to put it ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • No Tikanga Please, We're Lawyers.
    Yesterday Winston Peters focussed his attention on the important matter at hand. Tweeting. Like the former, and quite possibly next, orange POTUS, from whom he takes much of his political strategy, Winston is an avid X’er.His message didn’t resemble an historic address this time. In fact it was more reminiscent ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Member’s Day
    Today is a Member's Day, and it seems we've entered the slowdown as things emerge from select committee. First up is the committee stage of Greg O'Connor's Child Protection (Child Sex Offender Government Agency Registration) (Overseas Travel Reporting) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the second readings of Stuart ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago

  • Hurrah for coal – Shane Jones welcomes Genesis Energy’s import plans as natural gas production s...
    Buzz from the Beehive A significant decline in natural gas production has given Resources Minister Shane Jones an opportunity to reiterate his enthusiasm for the mining and burning of coal. For good measure, he has praised an announcement from Genesis Energy that it will resume importing coal. He and Energy ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Following the political money
    “Follow the money” is the classic directive to journalists trying to understand where power and influence lie in society. In terms of uncovering who influences various New Zealand political parties and governments, it therefore pays to look at who is funding them. The political parties are legally obliged to make ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago

  • A Left-Right ranking of universities in NZ: a practical guide for students and parents
    Rob MacCullough writes – Here is my subjective ranking on a “most-left” to “most-right” scale of most of our major NZ Universities, with some anecdotal (and at times amusing) evidence to back up the claim. Extreme Left   Auckland University of Technology Evidence The ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  •  Inflation and GST thresholds
    Eric Crampton writes –  I hadn’t thought about this one until a helpful email showed up in my inbox.It’s pretty obvious that income tax thresholds should automatically index with inflation – whether to anchor the thresholds in percentiles of the income distribution, or to anchor against a real ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
    Jacqui Van Der Kaay writes –  Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • A law school to be avoided – Auckland University of Technology
    Gary Judd writes – The Dean of the law school at the Auckland University of Technology is someone called Khylee Quince. I have been sent her social media posting in which she has, over the LawNews headline “Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Maori studies for ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 17 people in Malaita stand in way of China’s takeover of the Solomons
    Cleo Paskal writes – WASHINGTON, D.C.: ‘Many of us have received phone calls from [the opposing camp] telling them if they join the camp they will be given projects for their wards and $300,000 [around US$35,000] each’, says former Malaita Premier Daniel Suidani. The elections in Solomon Islands aren’t ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the Hamas Ceasefire Offer, and Mark Mitchell’s Incompetence
    With hindsight, it was inevitable that (a) Hamas would agree to the ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar and that ( b) Israel would then immediately launch attacks on Rafah, regardless. We might have hoped the concessions made by Hamas would cause Israel to desist from slaughtering thousands more ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    6 days ago

  • Bernard’ s Dawn Chorus & Pick ‘n’ Mix for Wednesday May 8
    Placards and mourners outside the Kilbirnie Mosque following the Christchurch terror attack: MSD has terminated the Kaiwhakaoranga service, which has been used by 415 families since the attacks. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: The Government’s pledge to only cut ‘back office’ staff rather than ‘frontline’ services is on increasingly shaky ground, with ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • A few PT announcements
    There’s been a few smaller public transport announcements over the last week or so that I thought I’d cover in a single post. Fareshare I’ve long called for Auckland Transport to offer a way to enable employer-subsidised public transport options. The need for this took on even more importance ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days ago

  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Green Party grapples with persistent scandals
    Parliament’s speaker had no option but to refer Green MP Julie Anne Genter to the Privileges Committee for her behaviour in the House last Wednesday evening. The incident, in which she crossed the floor to wave a book and yell at National Minister Matt Doocey, reflects poorly on Genter and ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    6 days ago

  • At a glance – Tree ring proxies and the divergence problem
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Nothing to sneer at
    Who likes being sneered at? Nobody. Worse yet, when the sneerer has their facts all wrong, and might well be an idiot.The sneer in question is The adults are in charge now, and it is a sneer offered in retort to criticism of this new Government, no matter how well ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • Still on their bullshit
    When in government, Labour pushed to extend the Parliamentary term to four years, to reduce accountability and our ability to vote out a bad government. And now, they're trying to do it through the member's ballot, with a Four-Year Parliamentary Term Legislation Bill. The bill at least requires a referendum ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • Drawn
    A ballot for a single Member's Bill was held today, and the following bill was drawn: Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill (Hūhana Lyndon) The bill would prevent the government from stealing Māori land in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. It ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • A nod and a wink that will unnecessarily cost Aucklanders tens of millions per year
    Simeon Brown, alongside Wayne Brown, is favouring a political figleaf now in exchange for loading up tens of millions in extra interest costs on Auckland ratepayers. Photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Ratings agency Standard & Poor’s is pushing back hard at suggestions from Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • Correcting the Corrections announcement – a fiscal farce that should bother the OECD
     Buzz from the Beehive One headline-grabber from the Beehive yesterday was the OECD’s advice that the government must bring the Budget deficit under control or face higher interest rates. Another was the announcement of a $1.9 billion “investment” in Corrections over the next four years. In the best interests of ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  •  Like it or not, the Kiwis are either going into ‘Pillar 2’ – or they are going to China
    Chris Trotter writes –  Had Zheng He’s fleet sailed east, not west, in the early Fifteenth Century, how different our world would be. There is little reason to suppose that the sea-going junks of the Ming Dynasty, among the largest and most sophisticated sailing vessels ever constructed, would have failed ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • A balanced and an unbalanced article
    David Farrar writes – Two articles give a useful contrast in balance. Both seek to be neutral explainer articles. This one in the Herald on Social Investment covers the pros and cons nicely. It links to critical pieces and talks about aspects that failed and aspects that are more ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Deeply unserious country
    Every bit of this seems insane. And people wonder why productivity is falling through the floor. Energy News reports that the Environment Court finally threw out Allan Crafar’s appeal against a solar farm. From the story: Consent was granted in 2022. Crafar appealed November 2022. On what grounds? That ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Senior King’s Counsel files complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students
    The tikanga regulations will compel law students to be taught that a system which does not conform with the rule of law is nevertheless law which should be observed and applied…  Gary Judd KC writes –  I have made a complaint to Parliament’s Regulation ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Charter schools to lift educational outcomes
    The upcoming Budget will include funding for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced today. $153 million in new funding will be provided over four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    54 mins ago

  • COVID-19 Inquiry terms of reference consultation results received
    “The results of the public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has now been received, with results indicating over 13,000 submissions were made from members of the public,” Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says. “We heard feedback about the extended lockdowns in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    11 hours ago

  • The Pacific family of nations – the changing security outlook
    Foreign Minister, Defence Minister, other Members of Parliament Acting Chief of Defence Force, Secretary of Defence Distinguished Guests  Defence and Diplomatic Colleagues  Ladies and Gentlemen,  Good afternoon, tēna koutou, apinun tru    It’s a pleasure to be back in Port Moresby today, and to speak here at the Kumul Leadership ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • NZ and Papua New Guinea to work more closely together
    Health, infrastructure, renewable energy, and stability are among the themes of the current visit to Papua New Guinea by a New Zealand political delegation, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Papua New Guinea carries serious weight in the Pacific, and New Zealand deeply values our relationship with it,” Mr Peters ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours ago

  • Driving ahead with Roads of Regional Significance
    The coalition Government is launching Roads of Regional Significance to sit alongside Roads of National Significance as part of its plan to deliver priority roading projects across the country, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Roads of National Significance (RoNS) built by the previous National Government are some of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago

  • New Zealand congratulates new Solomon Islands government
    A high-level New Zealand political delegation in Honiara today congratulated the new Government of Solomon Islands, led by Jeremiah Manele, on taking office.    “We are privileged to meet the new Prime Minister and members of his Cabinet during his government’s first ten days in office,” Deputy Prime Minister and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolution
    New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium
    Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • $571 million for Defence pay and projects
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Climate change – mitigating the risks and costs
    New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Getting new job seekers on the pathway to work
    Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Accelerating Social Investment
    A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says.  “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • Getting Back on Track
    Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with  your Board and team, for hosting me.   I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • NZ – European Union ties more critical than ever
    Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith,   Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States,   Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us.   Ladies and gentlemen -    In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Therapeutic Products Act to be repealed
    The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan
    The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violence
    Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston.  “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Smarter lunch programme feeds more, costs less
    Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Report provides insights into marine recovery
    New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • NZ to send political delegation to the Pacific
    Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region.   The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu.    “New Zealand has deep and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Low gas production threatens energy security
    There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co.  Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Defence industry talent, commitment recognised
    Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry
    Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Speech to the Sixth Annual New Zealand Government Data Summit
    It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government.  I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Ceasefire agreement needed now: Peters
    New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Daily school attendance data now available
    A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour.  The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Ambassador to United States appointed
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America.    “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says.    “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New permit proposed for recreational gold mining
    The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiations
    Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to sign
    New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Next stop NASA for New Zealand students
    Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • $1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crime
    New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • OECD reinforces need to control spending
    The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for Auckland
    The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with Germany
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today.    "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of Plenty
    The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Speech to New Zealand China Council
    Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today.    Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi households
    The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Government recommits to equal pay
    The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says.  “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Transforming how our children learn to read
    Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.  “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

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