Open mike 25/04/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, April 25th, 2023 - 92 comments
Categories: open mike - Tags:


Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

The usual rules of good behaviour apply (see the Policy).

Step up to the mike …

92 comments on “Open mike 25/04/2023 ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Tiger Mountain 1
    25 April 2023 at 7:15 am

    Not a big ANZAC day fan personally. The day realistically could have ceased being marked when last ANZAC died…

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/new-zealands-last-anzac-i-lived-through-it-somehow/SP726IGVVCVLZPGZQTHHGGSOQY/

    It has been a cynical exercise in jingoism for years now, hooking younger people into war being a respected sacrifice, feel good even, narrative–NZ Defence and 5 Eyes machinations lurking in the shadows. WWI was an inter imperialist war that slaughtered working class people in huge numbers totally unnecessarily.

    The self righteous celebrators of war even got the Gallipoli numbers wrong for many years until around 2013. NZ troop participation was almost twice greater than quoted throughout the 20th century. So NZ and Australian casualty percentages were actually similar. (no relief to the bereaved descendants).
    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/299592/nz's-true-gallipoli-numbers-revealed

    nb. My uncle was blown to bits at Monte Casino, 1944 in WWII. He is recorded in the Auckland War Memorial Museum records and name on the wall. WWII was the anti fascist war that a number of leftists did support.

    • Bearded Git 1.1
      25 April 2023 at 8:20 am

      Agree Tiger. There is too much glorification of war in the ANZAC day ceremonies for me. Ukraine shows the true horror of war.

      My dad fought in WW2-in fact he was on the HMS Belfast which was a WW2 cruiser and has now been preserved on the Thames in London as a floating museum operated by the Imperial War Museum.

      • gsays 1.1.1
        25 April 2023 at 8:41 am

        One person's glorification is another's sombre remembrance.

        My Uncle served in Malaya, came back a profoundly changed man. He would have been at the cenotaph in Feilding today with the RSA contingent. Unfortunately, strokes and a heart attack have him laid up in hospital and unlikely to leave.

        A good turnout this morning, hopefully some of the many youngsters there can question their parents when the 'China bad' war drums start beating…

      • Hunter Thompson II 1.1.2
        26 April 2023 at 9:38 am

        I visited HMS Belfast when in London in 1990 – a very interesting exhibit.

        I guess we will always need a defence force because extremist clowns like Hitler, Stalin and Putin keep on turning up (China's leader seems to have expansionist ideas too).

        Its always the politicians who get us into the mess, but the young men who do the fighting. Possibly WW II could have been averted had Neville Chamberlain stood up to Hitler, but England and the French had lost an entire generation in the Great War so they were desperate to avoid more conflict. As a result, Chamberlain gave in to a series of German territorial demands.

    • Ngungukai 1.2
      25 April 2023 at 9:46 am

      Likewise my grandfather was one of the few New Zealander's to get off Gallipolli alive, fought at Chunnuck Bair with the Wellington Mounted Rifles, he lost both his brother's in France & Belgium in WW1.

      Then we lost an Uncle in WW2 flying Wellington bombers out of El Alamien, disappeared over Palermo, Sicily, to this day he or the wreckage has never been found.

    • Corey 1.3
      25 April 2023 at 12:24 pm

      You're not supposed to be a fan of Anzac day or war it's meant to be a somber day where we reflect on the mistakes of the past and the horrors of war and the many, many many dead.

      We will never get rid of Anzac day.

      Anzac day is not pro war, They say least we forget so we don't repeat the mistakes of the past.

      I do not want to lose another generation to war.

      Occasionally the left needs to pull our heads out of our arses and stop acting like philistines and accept some traditions.

      • Ngungukai 1.3.1
        25 April 2023 at 3:44 pm

        More a somber rememberance for our family members, the damage done from war to surviving family members carries through the generations, mainly alcoholism and physcological issues. I can remember having discussions with a friend of my parents who was young teenager tending to the wounds of Returned Servicemen of the Maori Battalions after WW2 in Tokomaru Bay. He said it was a very sobering experience, the trauma must of been horrific for Ngati Porou and it's people.

        I did some work with some of the Maori Trusts on the East Coast, and one of the trustees, was one of the last surviving Officers of the Maori Battalions, he said Ngati Porou lost most of their leaders fighting in WW2.

        • RedLogix 1.3.1.1
          25 April 2023 at 4:50 pm

          one of the trustees, was one of the last surviving Officers of the Maori Battalions, he said Ngati Porou lost most of their leaders fighting in WW2.

          Indeed. One of them was my paternal grandfather. It is a common pattern that war takes a disproportionate toll on the young men from rural areas.

          • Ngungukai 1.3.1.1.1
            25 April 2023 at 7:27 pm

            My paternal grandfather was a Major in the Otago Regiments in France & Belgium in WW1, he fought in the First Battle of Passchendaele and was recommended for a MC. However in the Second Battle of Passchendaele the Otago Regiments lost 90% of their troops in half (1/2) an hour, fortunately he was on leave in Paris. I have read and copied his War Letters describing these events, which I will place in the Hocken Collections at the University of Otago.

            One of his duties was to write the letters back to the families in New Zealand on the death of New Zealand troops. Dick Travis (aka Dickson Savage) VC was his Chief Scout in France & Belgium, he was supposedly an Uncle of Captain Pita Awatere an Officer in the Ngati Porou Cowboys (Maori Battalion) in WW2.

            I have two great uncles buried in France & Belgium, Andrew O'Brien was a Private in the East Kent Regiments died 1914, and his older brother Charles was a Captain in the Irish Guards died in the last week of WW1. We have just located a descendant of Charles Stuart O'Brien. The damage done to families in any conflict is immense and it is supposedly carried in our DNA.

            • RedLogix 1.3.1.1.1.1
              25 April 2023 at 8:03 pm

              Very interesting. It was once explained to me that one way of looking at the difference between Maori and Pakeha cultures is that a Maori had a worldview of him or herself as standing in the present and looking back to the ancestors who came before and the legacy of their whakapapa which largely defines who they are.

              While Pakeha tilt the opposite way, standing in the present looking to a future and the potential of who their mokopuna might be.

              Obviously this is not a black and white matter – just a description of differing propensity. But it does go some way to explaining why you describe the loss of that generation in the wars of the last century as 'embedded in your DNA'. While as a predominantly Pakeha I tend to intellectualise the same loss as ‘service to ideals and a sacrifice for country’. Perhaps they amount to the same thing in the big picture. Either way it speaks to how history has such powerful roots in the present – and often deeply embedded in our psyches.

              As for my paternal grandfather Frank – we know he was trained as an engineer and is listed in the online Battalion records as a 'motor mechanic' – yet that is pretty much all we know. Linda his wife contracted tuberculosis as a nurse during the war and died in 1942, and as a consequence the family lost almost all knowledge of what happened to Frank after he left for the war. The records tell us nothing and he never returned to NZ as far as we are aware. What I do know is that he was from an East Coast hapu – Ngāti Kahungunu from memory.

              Literally days before we came to Australia in 2013 we bumped into a relative of his who we probably should have kept in touch with. On reflection I should probably make the effort to find out more.

              • Ngungukai …
                25 April 2023 at 11:42 pm

                I have only found out this information by researching in the last 20 years, fortunately I have an Uncle who is still alive and an old trunk with my grandfathers War Letters in it. Growing up as a little boy I remember hearing both my grandfathers fought in WW1, the paternal grandfather was Scottish and my maternal grandfather was Irish, he was born on a military base in Deal, Kent so was from a military family, he was a merchant seaman and arrived in Wellington around the turn of last Century, became a shepherd at Kiwitahi in the Manawatu, until the outbreak of WW1 joining the Manawatu/Wellington Mounted Rifles, they took their farm horses by boat to Egypt, these had to be shot b4 they departed for Gallipoli Turkey. He was subsequently busted up on Chunuk Bair in 1915 and invalided back to London, I remember him limping around the house. My paternal grandfather was teaching at Otago Boys High School before sailing to the UK in 1916, he rose to the rank of Major, fought in France and Belgium and was involved in the march and occupation of Germany. He was one of two Officers selected to attend a Short Course at Oxford University as part of the Military for a debrief course in 1919, he was the Adjutant that brought the vessel Remuera back into Auckland, where he met my grandmother through family war connections. Fortunately both got back alive although one severely injured.

              • Ngungukai …
                25 April 2023 at 11:44 pm

                Thanks for the dialogue Red Logix interesting to find someone on the same wavelength.

  2. Bearded Git 2
    25 April 2023 at 8:36 am

    I know that this is a couple of weeks old (and may have been the subject of debate in TS) but Trotter is on the money here for me. Anybody who hasn't read it should read it.

    https://bowalleyroad.blogspot.com/2023/04/game-changer.html

    • Tiger Mountain 2.1
      25 April 2023 at 8:51 am

      yes

    • Stephen 2.2
      25 April 2023 at 9:25 am

      But the comments!

    • Anne 2.3
      25 April 2023 at 11:37 am

      I gave up reading Bowally Rd because Trotter's muses became so over the top. But every now and then he seems to come up with a gem and this is one of them. It is summed up nicely with this paragraph from BG’s link:

      If McAnulty’s colleagues have the courage to follow his lead, then the looming election may yet become an historical turning-point. With National and Act offering nothing more than more of the same, Labour, the Greens, and Te Pāti Māori have been given the chance to join the most progressive elements of the older generations with the hopes and aspirations of younger New Zealanders, thereby forging an electoral alliance equal to the challenges of an uncertain and demanding future.

      Despite media attempts to portray the young generation as a pot-pourri of robbers and ram raiders, I have met enough of them to see the enormous potential in them. They seem to possess a wisdom and maturity well beyond their years, and it augers well for a better future for everyone.

  3. ianmac 3
    25 April 2023 at 9:00 am

    A long time ago I asked a war vet if he regretted his action in Egypt where he famously was wounded horribly. A terrible stomach wound where the surgeon just sewed him up as he would die anyway.

    Derek's response to me was an angry defence of the "most wonderful time of his life! Friendship and togetherness never better!"

  4. arkie 4
    25 April 2023 at 9:20 am

    Tucker Carlson fired from Fox:

    In a surprise announcement, Fox News on Monday cut ties with its controversial yet top-rated prime-time host Tucker Carlson, one of the most influential voices in Republican politics.

    The apparently hasty parting — Carlson gave no indication he was leaving in his last nightly appearance Friday, and the network was still running promos for his show Monday morning — came less than a week after Fox settled a defamation lawsuit from Dominion Voting Systems, which had sued the network for false claims about the 2020 election. Carlson was among several on-air personalities expected to testify.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2023/04/24/tucker-carlson-leaves-fox-news/

  5. Ad 5
    25 April 2023 at 9:21 am

    Sayonara Tucker Carlson.

    Fox fired his ass without ceremony. No final show, no thanks, just done.

    Presumably he goes on to AONN.

    • Sanctuary 5.1
      25 April 2023 at 9:36 am

      Presumably Martyn Bradbury will now lament the fall of yet another kindred spirit, a scalp for the woke before posting his ANZAC special – "Smeared: the untold story of a poor Austrian painter".

    • SPC 5.2
      25 April 2023 at 12:09 pm

      Or Epoch Times, he will have to be militantly anti-China though.

      The other option is to join Glenn Greenwald and Russel Brand and Joe Rogan on Rumble. The right wing platform hosts Truth Social and claims its the place of free speech rather than a MSM (some were paid to go there from other places such as You Tube).

      I refer to it as, let us go brandon/onbrand, central. Where once reasonable people go to be less responsible – Fox News was the place of transition for Carlson (who once aspired to be the voice of reason on the right but instead became a Murdoch orc.

    • arkie 5.3
      25 April 2023 at 12:17 pm

      Rumble is the natural place for him to go, join recent interviewee Russel Brand.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 5.4
      25 April 2023 at 2:28 pm

      Tucker's main motivation is probably money.

      My guess his next home could be RT.

      Need to run a sweepstake!

      • RedLogix 5.4.1
        25 April 2023 at 3:14 pm

        It is my sense Tucker backed the wrong horse over Ukraine. While I think he instinctively wanted to tap into that old and always potent strain of American isolationism – I suspect the mass of US Republicans and conservatives were not on board with this message at all.

        • SPC 5.4.1.1
          25 April 2023 at 3:35 pm

          The You Tube link 4.2 indicates his reasoning on Ukraine – he does not think the USA can cope with a geo-political/economic/military alliance between Russia and China. He wants the USA to pressure Ukraine to do a deal – involving the formal cession of Crimea and other ethnic Russian areas.

          • UncookedSelachimorpha 5.4.1.1.1
            25 April 2023 at 4:01 pm

            Tucker's reasoning?

            Personally I couldn't care less what he thinks, about anything. He is a moron with no morals or wisdom. His only "qualification" of any type is fame.

          • RedLogix 5.4.1.1.2
            25 April 2023 at 4:05 pm

            Yes. There is some sense in that appraisal. Just as at the end of WW2 the US realised it had no appetite nor the capacity to confront the Red Army on European soil – it now makes better sense to build alliances and work toward containment rather than full on confrontation.

            In this the demographic and geopolitical realties favour the West in the long run. Russia has a terrible demography, and China faces imminent population collapse. Depending on whose data you believe the mainland Chinese population is on track to dropping by 50% to 650m by just 2050. That is before you factor in the perfect storm of other vulnerabilities they face.

            The other thing that should be apparent is that US intelligence probably knows more about what is being talked about in the Kremlin than Putin does. And while for the moment they assess that on a rational basis there is only a small chance of nuclear exchange – you only have to watch what is happening on Russian state TV every night to understand rationality is not a universal condition. Which is why their support for Ukraine has been carefully calibrated to ensure they can neither quite lose, nor quite win.

            A defeated Kremlin could be a very dangerous beast indeed, with many unpredictable consequences. In war it is wise never to force an outcome until you are reasonably sure what it will be.

            • roblogic 5.4.1.1.2.1
              25 April 2023 at 11:05 pm

              American support is also calibrated to draw the Russian military into a long and painful war of attrition. Ukraine is useful but expendable in their overall plan to remove Russia as a strategic threat

              • RedLogix …
                26 April 2023 at 11:36 am

                Shorn of their legacy stockpile of nuclear weapons Russia is not a strategic – anything. Conversely there are nations who do have nuclear weapons, UK, France, India etc, that are not a considered a strategic threat either.

                Nope the problem is that Russia ticks both boxes, nuclear armed AND acting like threatening arseholes. Bad combination.

                There are of course any number of things you can say about the post WW2 Washington led world order, but it would be delusional to argue that a Stalinist or Maoist led version of it would have been an improvement of any kind.

  7. Ad 7
    25 April 2023 at 9:24 am

    Massive turnout in Wanaka this morning with on my crowd count 400 people there, which is easily 5% of the resident population.

    Two biplanes did the flypast, while a young teenager spoke about what it all meant to them.

    • Sanctuary 7.1
      25 April 2023 at 9:43 am

      What did it mean to them, pray tell? Genuinely interested.

      I don't do ANZAC day. I didn't like most of the veterans when they were alive and nowadays to me it is just a chance for largely Pakeha New Zealanders to engage in a quasi-pagan ceremony and wear a rather mawkish and maudlin nationalism on their sleeves, before they go back to demonstrating to everyone their relationship with NZ is pretty transactional by posting in the comments section of the Herald and Stuff that they can't wait to gap it to Aussie.

      Pay all your taxes, be law abiding, help your landlady take out her garbage and if anyone invades Google how to make a Molotov cocktail. No need to get up on a cold morning to do any of that.

      • Ad 7.1.1
        25 April 2023 at 9:51 am

        I daren't speak for the silent thoughts of the crowd.

        But you do get a little glimpse of its collective meaning from who showed up:

        – The Scouts

        – The nurses in uniform

        – The firefighters

        – The Police

        – The retired veterans, their descendants, all wearing service medals

        – The young and very young

        – The politicians (insofar as we have politics at such a local level)

        – The bagpipe players, the anthem singers, assorted celebrants

        – The tradies, their families, the retired people of Wanaka.

        Who knows, somewhere in there is New Zealand giving thanks to each other.

        • AB 7.1.1.1
          25 April 2023 at 10:47 am

          Yes that's fair. Something is going on.

          Probably most of that crowd couldn't have given a short description of the Sykes-Picot Agreement of the Balfour Declaration, or how after initial Russian gains against Austria-Hungary, Germany was controlling the eastern front and could throw plenty of resources to the west, or how the operation itself was botched, etc..

          So the commemorations we see aren't really about the event itself. Something else is happening. I'm open to the possibility that it's potentially a good thing that is being manufactured here, but far from certain that it is.

        • roblogic 7.1.1.2
          25 April 2023 at 9:33 pm

          The lawful good. God bless 'em. (I'm probably more “chaotic good”)

      • Anne 7.1.2
        25 April 2023 at 12:19 pm

        "I don't do ANZAC day."

        I don't do ANZAC day either. At least not in the normal sense.

        My Dad fought in both world wars. As a very young man (he lied about his age) he saw action in France in the last twelve months. His most treasured possession was an album of studio photographs of his war-time mates who did not survive that war. In WW2 he saw action in the Pacific.

        He didn’t talk much about his war experiences but he hated war – any war – with an abiding passion. He didn't do ANZAC either. He regarded it as a "glorification of war" and he wanted no part of it. He never stepped inside RSA's for the same reason. Looking back I think there was trauma there that he never managed to fully overcome. He saw some terrible things. Apart from the worst cases, there was no help for returning soldiers in those days. You were expected to just get on with your life as though nothing had happened.

        At the end of ANZAC day when everyone has gone home, I visit the local memorial and plant two poppies. One for Dad and one for Mum as both of them knew the true cost of war. There is usually no-one around, and I can reflect on their lives and feel grateful for the values they instilled in me.

  8. Mike the Lefty 8
    25 April 2023 at 9:34 am

    Since it is Anzac Day I wanted to comment on something I saw earlier.

    On Tuesday last week I saw former All Black Wayne (Buck) Shelford talking on Seven Sharp calling for an extra memorial day for defence force vets, as well as more money and privileges for vets.

    He said that we don't support vets enough, citing how in the US vets are given special privileges, special seating at sports arena, and much more publicity.

    He was persuasive, but I don't agree with them that we should be more like the US in how vets are treated. Shelford said that at football games the announcers ask them to stand up before the game so that people can applaud them. I don't really think that NZ vets would really like this kind of thing somehow. They certainly appreciate thanks for their services and sacrifices but in a less ultra patriotic more New Zealand way.

    And I don't know if an extra public holiday to celebrate the services of vets would get much support in NZ. It is fair enough to want that, but perhaps it should be part of the evolving nature of ANZAC Day celebrations. Perhaps ANZAC Day could be remodelled into vets day, seeing as there are now no longer any surviving men from that dreadful day.

    Comments please!

    • ianmac 8.1
      25 April 2023 at 9:43 am

      In USA the vets are not treated well. Currently the Republicans are creating Bills to cut Vet medical care and cut Vet social services. Echoes of reducing Government (Federal) spending. Nicola will be applauding.

    • Belladonna 8.2
      25 April 2023 at 3:50 pm

      At our local ANZAC Day service, it was the service men and women, past and present, who were honoured at the beginning and ending of the service.

      The address by the local high school head student referenced the WW1 honor board – of those students who had died during that war. It is a tradition that their names are read, and so they were this year. Her address focused on WW1 – but it was the only one which did so.

      I think that most ANZAC services are already morphing away from the specific WW1&2 memorials.

    • roblogic 8.3
      25 April 2023 at 9:43 pm

      Despite its claim to separate church and state, America's state religion is 'christian' nationalism that idolises militarism and gun violence. They venerate military service but the machine churns up men and damages them for life then spits them out onto the street. Obsession with flags and guns and uniforms is a crap form of virtue.

      "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel" – Samuel Johnson

  9. Sanctuary 9
    25 April 2023 at 10:42 am

    I was watching this youtube video on the eve of ANZAC day and made me most pessimistic and rather pensive. The presenter casually noted the desire of Japan to DOUBLE it's defence spending by 2026 and to create a force projection capability to defend it's outlying island (and Taiwan, one would think) from attack. Wht 2026? because Xi has said China will be in a position to take back Taiwan by 2028.

    A confrontation between heavily armed North Asian powers in the Taiwan strait could be closer than we think, an incredibly depressing thought. I have hoped that I could see out my days without us getting involved in a big war. I still hope, but the drums are getting louder.

    • Ad 9.1
      25 April 2023 at 12:03 pm

      The Chinese were in full dare-me mode consistently entering Taiwanese airspace and doing wargames after Speaker Pelosi's visit in August last year.

      That stopped being a full response of Taiwanese fighters going into China airspace because they and the US figured it was better to show restraint right at the moment.

      In response in March this year the PLA and airforce and navy rehearsed blockades and invasion tactics in the open, all around Taiwan.

      That’s how close it got.

      The US will defend Taiwanese democracy better than the UK defended Hong Kong democracy, independent judiciary, free press, right to free expression, right to political non-interference by intelligence services, etc.

      We are not yet at a full-on carrier group crisis like the mid-1990s but we are getting very close.

    • SPC 9.2
      25 April 2023 at 1:21 pm

      Military enhancement without diplomacy to resolve the matter is a fools path.

    • RedLogix 9.3
      25 April 2023 at 3:21 pm

      I see you have already discovered Perun's excellent and highly regarded channel. As he puts it, if anyone has suggested that a channel dedicated to hour plus Powerpoint presentations on defense economics would gain 400k subscribers in less than a year – he would have scoffed at you.

      He remains anonymous, but has stated that he works somewhere in the Australian defense logistics world and he clearly knows his stuff. As in 'standing under a fire-hose' of it stuff.

  10. Incognito 10
    25 April 2023 at 10:56 am

    The campaign is on for a third Medical School in Waikato. This shot across the politicians’ bow is full of lazy rhetoric from another ‘Mr Fix-It’. Of course, this doesn’t matter if the aim is to generate a groundswell of public opinion, or just a ripple from a vocal minority. Once it registers in the focus groups, National will elevate it to a bullet speaking point in their election campaign aka a ‘policy’.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/300860738/make-our-third-medical-school-in-hamilton

    Looking into the messenger, he does seem to fit the mould of a stereotypical National-aligned politician. Turns out he’s apparently also a fellow-blogger. Interesting fellow and I suspect we’ll hear more from and about him in future – not worth wasting any oxygen on just yet.

  11. Peter 11
    25 April 2023 at 12:25 pm

    A Washington Post headline says, "How Tucker Carlson became the voice of White grievance. " He is the face of white, conservative, fearful America. He is their Mike Hosking.

    One good clip I've seen today is Carlson in full flight:

    "Imagine forcing yourself to tell lies all day about everything in ways which were so transparent and so outlandish that there is no way the people listening to you could possibly believe anything you said.

    Then imagine doing that again and again and again every day of your professional life for your entire life. Could you do that?"

    • Sabine 11.1
      25 April 2023 at 2:41 pm

      we should just get rid of 'white' people and then all would be good. s/

      Never mind the viewership – but i guess they must be all white, no non white people would watch the show. lol

      2022

      https://www.thewrap.com/tucker-carlson-liberal-viewership-fox-news/

      The Nielsen MRI Fusion numbers reveal that in October, Fox News unsurprisingly got the majority of the audience of self-proclaimed Republicans, with 69% of them overall tuning into total-day programming and 73% of them in the demo tuning into primetime programming.

      More surprising are the stats about Carlson and Fox News’ pull with self-proclaimed Democrats.

      Of those demo-aged viewers surveyed who identified

      as Democrats, 39% chose Fox News,

      31% chose MSNBC and 30% chose CNN for programming from 8 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET.

      In total-day viewership, Fox News grabbed 42% of Democrats aged 25-54, CNN nabbed 33% and MSNBC got 25%.

      2023

      Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson drew an audience of 3.473 million viewers last week, making Tucker Carlson Tonight the highest-rated show in cable news for the week ending February 12. Carlson’s show also delivered 490,000 viewers 25-54, the demographic group most valued by national advertisers.

      Carlson helped propel Fox News to its 104th consecutive weekly ratings victory over CNN and MSNBC, with an average prime time audience of 2.5 million viewers and 359,000 viewers in the key demo. Fox News Channel also won the week for total day ratings (6 a.m. to 6 a.m.), with an average total audience of 1.54 million viewers and 205,000 viewers in the key demo.

      in the meantime

      https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fox-stock-tucker-carlson-top-ratings-draw/

      Fox Corporation shares dropped on Monday after the media company said in a terse comment that it is parting ways with star host Tucker Carlson, raising questions about the future of Fox News and the future of the conservative network's prime time lineup.

      Carlson, whose last show was on Friday, April 21, is leaving Fox News even as he remains a top-rated host for the network, drawing 334,000 viewers in the coveted 25- to 54-year-old demographic in the 8 p.m. slot for the week ended April 20, according to AdWeek.

      That was more than twice the audience of his competitors at CNN and MSNBC in the same hour, and also represented a bigger audience than other Fox News hosts such as Sean Hannity or Laura Ingraham.

      Shares of Fox closed 3% lower on Monday after dropping as much as 5% earlier in the day.

      But surely only white people with grievances would have watched that show. Totes. Totes. Totes.

      In the meantime CNN fires Don Lemon – who knows for what, it certainly can not be white people with grievances that watched him to much, right? s/

      https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-04-24/don-lemon-fired-cnn

      Don Lemon says he was fired by CNN without warning. Network blasts ‘inaccurate’ statement

      Prominent CNN host Don Lemon on Monday announced that he has been fired after 17 years at the cable news network.

      “I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN,” Lemon wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. “I am stunned. After 17 years at CNN I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly.”

      His departure was swift. Lemon had appeared on “CNN This Morning” earlier in the day.

      The network confirmed the news in a statement.

      “CNN and Don have parted ways,” CNN Chief Executive Chris Licht said in the statement. “Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors.”

      But CNN also challenged Lemon’s account of how he was fired.

      “Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate,” the network said in a statement posted online. “He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.

      My guess is that the one who got fired by Fox was for actually doing journalism and showing segments / interviews of stuff and people that the good left wing media would not touch and someone put the kibbosh onto Fox and well they caved.

      CNN however just got rid of someone who had miserable ratings and a rather sketchy reputation for being a bit of diva with complexes of grandeur.

      My guess is that Tucker Carlson will have a bit of a rest and then do his thing, whilst Don Lemon will just have to grovel and hovel in order to be re-hired anywhere.

      • Peter 11.1.1
        25 April 2023 at 3:49 pm

        Your guess is that the one who got fired by Fox was for actually doing journalism?

        Your guess is as good as anyone's.

        "According to ‘The Atlantic’, that’s where his transformation from journalist to commentator truly began. It has since blossomed into something much more than that since his arrival at Fox News. He has been called racist, dangerous, and an immigrant fear-monger … but not a journalist (except on his wiki page)."

        https://theclick.news/is-tucker-carlson-a-journalist-the-answer-wasnt-always-so-easy/

        • Sabine 11.1.1.1
          26 April 2023 at 10:55 am

          Every one who differs in opinion from the prescribed truth as per media/academia and liberal politics is a racist, a fear monger, anti immigrant, anti trans identified people if they insist in biological reality, a white supremacist if they are not self hating/self canceling whites, bigots/nazis/phobes if all the other slurs did not work to shut them down.
          Its easier to insult and smear, then to actually acknowledge that almost 40% of democrats – irrespective of color of their skin or sex or creed – watched him, and that according to your previous comment that would make them white supremacists cause they watched Tucker Carlson who obviously is a white supremist and fear monger. Guilt by association i think is the term.

          I don't particularly care about him but have tuned in when he had people on his show that would not be platformed by the approved non racist, non white supremacist, gender before sex mainstreem media. Not because i cared much about what he had to say, but because i wanted to hear what those de-platformed by the mainstream media, those others, had to say.

          And i would venture a guess that Tucker Carlson will do very well in a Joe Rogan Format. And again, that many people who self identify as democrats will tune in to listen to those that are not allowed a voice elsewhere. Go figure.

  12. arkie 12
    25 April 2023 at 12:58 pm

    Emily Writes interviews Renters United on the need for rent controls in NZ:

    In the middle of a cost of living crisis and the climate emergency wreaking havoc across Aotearoa, there’s a really strong case to be made for instituting a rent freeze. We know that for the vast majority of renters their largest expense is rent, and as such one of the best short-term policy tools we have to alleviate economic hardship is to call time on rent increases through a freeze.

    They outline their preferred implementation:

    Our preferred iteration is as follows and we’re confident that this is balanced towards all parties, while also offering genuine and meaningful reform:

    • Limit rent increases to no more than inflation, based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in the preceding 12 months.
    • Allow reasonable and proportionate rent increases above CPI where significant improvements have been made to the quality or facilities of the home – beyond ordinary maintenance. Such improvements would not include those made in order for the property to comply with minimum standards.
    • Prevent unreasonable rent hikes between tenancies by requiring the landlord to set rent within a reasonable range of the previous rent charged for that property (except where significant improvements beyond normal maintenance have been made) and inform incoming tenants in writing of the rent paid by the previous tenants.

    https://emilywrites.substack.com/p/explainer-is-it-time-for-a-rent-freeze

    • RedLogix 12.1
      25 April 2023 at 3:50 pm

      Yes – constraining the supply of rentals in order to solve the shortage of rentals has got to be the solution. /sarc

      The problem is not just in New Zealand. Here in Australia the challenge is just as acute. We had to buy an apartment on moving to a new role in Perth a few months ago – not because we had planned to – but because literally we were queuing up with 100 more more people just for the mandatory inspection. And as a contractor unable to produce evidence of my past three months of full time employment income, our chances of getting past the paper work was zero. I'm not grizzling about this, I realise we are fortunate enough to have had an option – but the experience of just how much the rental market is under pressure was pretty vivid.

      The reasons for this are complex. This recent article explores them in good depth and even-handedly:

      There is a housing crisis in Australia with an undersupply of both properties for rental and for sale.

      The surge in immigration and the return of international students has seen a demand for housing boom.

      The extra half a million people who will be coming over the next year or two have to live somewhere, and they don’t bring houses with them.

      This means they are competing with locals in the rental market, where vacancy rates are at near-record-low levels and rents are rising at a strong double-digit pace.

      https://propertyupdate.com.au/from-population-boom-to-housing-nightmare-addressing-australias-housing/

      I realise the source will not meet your left wing purity test – but it is an informed and accurate view of why we have gotten to this place. And usefully it suggests some intelligent responses.

      My other challenge to many readers here is to ask – just how many of you have applied for a mortgage recently? It is all well and good to point to excessively high prices as a challenge to home ownership, but all too often the biggest hurdle to making the transition to ownership is when people sadly discover that they do not qualify for a mortgage at any price. This can happen for a host of reasons, insecure income being one of the most commonplace, but some of them quite unexpected.

      Very recently a younger colleague told me how they wanted to buy into a home closer to work in order to reduce their excessive fuel bills. When they applied for the mortgage they were turned down because – they were spending too much on petrol!

      • SPC 12.1.1
        25 April 2023 at 4:21 pm

        We're trying the end of the mortgage interest deductibility for existing property (either to first home owners or those who can buy without debt) to realise divestment and purchase of new builds for rent – it would work if it was bi-partisan (and not rising OCR and thus declining developer activity) but National's potential return to power is an obstacle.

        • RedLogix 12.1.1.1
          25 April 2023 at 4:41 pm

          I understand the commonplace left wing hatred of renting drives simplistic solutions like 'smash all landlords', but again it overlooks reality. There is a strong and organic demand for residential rentals and it continues to grow.

          People are far more transient than they were in our parents generation who typically were born, educated and lived in the same region all their lives. In the office I work in at present out of the 35 of us, there are migrants from 15 different countries, and just 3 who were born in this city.

          More people are waiting until much later in their lives before they finally put down roots in one location – hell I am nearly 70 and still have not. As our generations get older, the occupancy rate decreases – older people being typically way less keen on sharing accommodation unless it is with close family.

          And many people, often professionals with good incomes, prefer to invest elsewhere than in the house they live in.

          All of these – and more – are legitimate reasons why home ownership has been declining and the demand for rentals increasing. Yet at 8% interest rates only the brave and well pocketed are going to build to supply that market. It is inherently a long-term market and when govts constantly intervene, it introduces a degree of risk few have the appetite for.

          • adam 12.1.1.1.1
            25 April 2023 at 5:07 pm

            FFS really, the old supply is the issue argument. Come on Red get a grip on reality mate.

            The problems are way more than that one trick, let developers solve it – mantra – that has dominated the debate for the last 40 odd years. When that particularly pony gave us leaky homes, slave labour from north Asia, and suburbia – which has led to all our councils being perpetually broke.

            Contrast that with, Auckland being awash in unoccupied properties. Or my personally favourite 6 bed rooms with one person occupying them. Or how about boarded up properties – which litter our cities?

            No the main problem is, and has always been, the political will for the greedy to feed their greed at the expense of everyone else.

            There is no solution in fixing the supply – As 2 homes are empty for each homeless person in NSW.

            We have a problem which is political in nature and a lack of will to change a fubar economic system which is only making it worse.

            • SPC 12.1.1.1.1.1
              25 April 2023 at 5:11 pm

              Perhaps a 1% land tax on vacant land and housing with no occupants (or 0.5% if only half the bedrooms are occupied).

            • RedLogix 12.1.1.1.1.2
              25 April 2023 at 5:12 pm

              In what world do you imagine reducing the supply of something will fix the problems caused by a shortage of it?

              and a lack of will to change a fubar economic system which is only making it worse.

              Apart from smashing capitalism that is.

              • adam …
                26 April 2023 at 4:15 am

                In what world do you imagine reducing the supply of something will fix the problems caused by a shortage of it?

                Not what I said and you know it, good try at a strawman though. And changing an economic system towards a social democratic one is not smashing capitalism, only in far right wet dream would that be the case.

                We need to build what is needed, large public housing projects. Not rely on developers to fix what is in their interest – not to fix. My problem with what you said is how you effectively cut and paste the propaganda you have been spoon feed.

                • RedLogix …
                  26 April 2023 at 8:29 am

                  We need to build what is needed, large public housing projects.

                  Yes social housing does have it's place, and everyone acknowledges this. Sadly the record of these projects is however not pretty; especially when at large scale. Nor is it clear to me that whether or not what you are really intending is a mass nationalisation of a large fraction of the housing supply – aka the Soviet model. (Which I have personally experienced.)

                  Moreover the article I referenced lists about 8 other possible measures that all seem like steps you would want to consider – before reaching for that somewhat drastic and risky solution.

            • tWiggle 12.1.1.1.1.3
              26 April 2023 at 8:14 am

              friendlyjordies youtube vid on NSW housing crisis

              From about 2 min in friendlyjordies examines the corruption of NSW developers.

          • SPC 12.1.1.1.2
            25 April 2023 at 5:08 pm

            A lot of funds are moving into residential property in the USA – this is going to be the zero debt investment source. It's low rest and secure returns our local conservative super funds will move into this.

          • Visubversa 12.1.1.1.3
            25 April 2023 at 5:11 pm

            People rent at different times for different reasons. I have a good friend who has rented since her husband died as she does not want the responsibilities of home maintenance etc in her later years. My partner and I are thinking of doing the same as the organisation of a big house, gardens and so on will become beyond us. We don't want a retirement village, we want a good apartment with good view and a supermarket on the block.

            • RedLogix 12.1.1.1.3.1
              25 April 2023 at 5:50 pm

              Exactly – home ownership is a responsibility and burden not everyone wants to take on. There are so many diverse circumstances people find themselves in these days, that a traditional one size fits all housing solution no longer applies.

              For many kiwis I still think a most pressing structural problem is an inadequate retirement income provision, and a real shortage of alternate investment pathways other than housing.

              NZ Super was originally conceived and set at a level that worked if you were a home owner at retirement – and mortgage free. For just about everyone else it fell well short. These days home owning costs have risen to the point where even owning a home is not enough. Between rates, insurance, power and telco – fixed costs leave not too much change out of $10k pa, and then there is the 2% of capital value you should be spending on R&M. For many people this is a slow pathway to running out of money.

              Especially when you consider that it is no longer uncommon to live another three decades beyond retirement.

              Personally I like the idea of group housing associations – entities set up as an incorporated society that take care of managing all the administrative issues around common land, rates and insurance – a sort of a blend between strata management, retirement home and non-profit. I have long said that NZ could do well to look overseas to study some of the alternatives – we need more options for people beyond the three staples of the NZ market – social housing, renting and owning.

            • tWiggle 12.1.1.1.3.2
              26 April 2023 at 8:32 am

              There is a UK based charity which expanded in NZ somewhere, based on a community paper article I read about 5 years ago. It helps organise older people to flat together in 5-6 bedroom homes. The article specifically discussed a home with widowed friends. They get company, can pool resources like paying for domestic help, cook for each other, and keep an eye out for each other as they age.

              If they are homeowning, that can free up some of their own homes for rent. A wrapround non-profit renting agency, like the mental health NGO Commcare, which supports mental health clients by managing all aspects of their tenancy (right up to smartly kicking out problem tenants in the nicest possible way), could provide stress-free management for co-oping oldies to rent their homes. The agency could organise getting older houses read bto rent.

              One flat or shared house then provides 3-5 rental homes. Flatting in old villas with large rooms with many flatmates was a social pleasure for me up to my 40s. I would be happy for a financially secure option that allowed me this option in retirement.

    • SPC 12.2
      26 April 2023 at 8:42 pm

      A good time fora rent freeze (counters inflation).

      During the pandemic when the number of tourists visiting New Zealand was near zero, many owners of properties which had been in the short-term rental pool or which accommodated foreign students made these houses and units available for long-term tenants. Now, that situation is changing, and the rent implications seem clear.

      Units are being let again to students and tourists – with returns from servicing the latter group tending to easily exceed returns from taking in Kiwi families and individuals.

      In a monthly survey of landlords which I run with Crockers Property Management we can see a rising proportion of investors are planning to raise their rents, and the average rent rise they are seeking is increasing.

      Rising rents versus falling prices is rapidly shifting the equation for current renters in favour of buying and that is going to create an interesting situation somewhere down the track – maybe late this year.

      Prices may have just about stopped falling, but rents will keep rising while population growth accelerates because of the migration boom, and newbuild supply growth is set to slow quite a bit.

      https://www.oneroof.co.nz/news/43472

  13. SPC 13
    25 April 2023 at 3:18 pm

    What Russia is up to with the Presidency of the UNSC.

    https://www.rt.com/russia/575281-lavrov-un-security-council/

    • RedLogix 13.1
      25 April 2023 at 3:31 pm

      Why does Russia remain a permanent member of the UNSC? That privilege surely expired when the USSR that was the original signatory dissolved in 1991.

      • SPC 13.1.1
        25 April 2023 at 3:45 pm

        Ukraine was a member nation state of the UN from 1945, while part of the USSR. Whereas other parts, such as Russia, became independent of each other with the end of “Soviet Union”.

        My guess is that the USA was in be nice to Russia under Yeltsin mode (and they and Ukraine, for a time, would have the nukes) and Russia did allow the liberation of Kuwait.

        Some interesting perspectives from some nations as to the set up of the UNSC – an awareness of the flaws.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council

        • alwyn 13.1.1.1
          25 April 2023 at 8:33 pm

          Byelorussia also had a seat in the General Assembly from 1945 to 1991.

          Actually Stalin originally wanted 16 seats for the 16 Republics. The USA countered with the proposal that they should have 48 for the, then, 48 States. The ended up giving Joe 3.

      • Francesca 13.1.2
        25 April 2023 at 7:22 pm

        Russia was the successor state to the USSR, along with all the debts and credits.

        It forgave Cuba it's debt of $32 billion in 2014, and paid off its lend lease obligations to the US in 2006

        • RedLogix 13.1.2.1
          25 April 2023 at 8:21 pm

          That was also the Russia that signed the Budapest Memorandum in the 90's. It made pragmatic sense for a nuclear armed Russia to inherit the UNSC seat of the USSR.

          Putin however has repudiated not only that obligation, but if you listen carefully to the rhetoric in Russia, the internal narrative in 2023 is the restoration of the USSR borders or even those of Imperial Russia. If you recall early last year when justifying the 'special operation' in a speech, Putin characterised Russia as a nation that 'cannot be held back' that some nations have an eternal destiny, while others are nothing more than colonies. The whole of Eastern Europe decoded this accurately enough, even if we chose not to hear it.

          At some point the UN General Assembly is going to say enough is enough.

          • Francesca 13.1.2.1.1
            26 April 2023 at 8:24 am

            They may do , but what legal recourse do they have ?

            And surely US would have to be thrown out for its illegal invasion of Iraq

            Sauce for the goose etc

    • mikesh 13.2
      25 April 2023 at 4:54 pm

      Giving them a few home truths.

  14. UncookedSelachimorpha 14
    25 April 2023 at 4:06 pm

    Tucker making a run at the US presidency is very unlikely but not outside the realms of possibility. Despicable as he is, I think he might have a better chance of success than Trump.

    https://www.politico.com/news/2023/04/24/hypothetical-tucker-carlson-2024-campaign-00093608

  15. joe90 15
    25 April 2023 at 8:17 pm

    A rapid unscheduled disassembly has consequences.

    Now, residents and researchers are scrambling to assess the impact of the explosion on local communities, their health, habitat and wildlife including endangered species. Of primary concern is the large amount of sand- and ash-like particulate matter and heavier debris kicked up by the launch. The particulate emissions spread far beyond the expected debris field.

    As a result of the explosion, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded the company’s Starship Super Heavy launch program pending results of a “mishap investigation,” part of standard practice, according to an email from the agency sent to CNBC after the launch. No injuries or public property damage had yet been reported to the agency as of Friday.

    https://www.cnbc.com/2023/04/24/spacex-starship-explosion-spread-particulate-matter-for-miles.html

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 27

    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 27 were:1. The Minister for Ford Rangers strikes againTransport Minister Simeon Brown was again the busiest of the Cabinet ministers this week, announcing an ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    38 mins ago
  • Ticket To Anywhere

    You got a fast carAnd I want a ticket to anywhereMaybe we make a dealMaybe together we can get somewhereAny place is betterYesterday’s newsletter, Trust In Me, on the report of abuse in state care, and by religious organisations, between 1950 and 2019, coupled with the hypocrisy of Christopher Luxon ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 hour ago
  • Stories of varying weight

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 hours ago
  • Balancing External Security and the Economy

    New Zealand is again having to reconcile conflicting pressures from its military and its trade interests. Should we join Pillar Two of AUKUS and risk compromising our markets in China? For a century after New Zealand was founded in 1840, its external security arrangements and external economics arrangements were aligned. ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    19 hours ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: The unravelling of the offsets

    The ‘50 Shades of Green’ farmers’ protest in 2019 was heavy on climate change denial, but five years on, scepticism and criticism about the idea that pine forests can save us is growing across the board. File photo: Lynn GrievesonTL;DR: Here’s the top six news items of note in climate ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago
  • What makes us tick

    This morning the sky was bright.The birds, in their usual joyous bliss. Nature doesn’t seem to feel the heat of what might angst humans.Their calls are clear and beautiful.Just some random thoughts:MāoriPaul Goldsmith has announced his government will roll back the judiciary’s rulings on Māori Customary Marine Title, which recognises ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Foreshore and seabed 2.0

    In 2003, the Court of Appeal delivered its decision in Ngati Apa v Attorney-General, ruling that Māori customary title over the foreshore and seabed had not been universally extinguished, and that the Māori Land Court could determine claims and confirm title if the facts supported it. This kicked off the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the Royal Commission report into abuse in care

    Earlier this week at Parliament, Labour leader Chris Hipkins was applauded for saying that the response to the final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care had to be “bigger than politics.” True, but the fine words, apologies and “we hear you” messages will soon ring ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: In news breaking this morning:The Ministry of Education is cutting $2 billion from its school building programme so the National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government has enough money to deliver tax cuts; The Government has quietly lowered its child poverty reduction targets to make them easier to achieve;Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 26-July-2024

    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 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
    21 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-07-27T01:05:16+00:00