Open mike 26/02/2022

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, February 26th, 2022 - 60 comments
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60 comments on “Open mike 26/02/2022 ”

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  1. PsyclingLeft.Always 1
    26 February 2022 at 7:27 am

    Ms Ardern has done more to save the lives of thousands of New Zealanders during the past two years than anyone else. You might think there would be universal thanks and praise for those efforts.

    But it’s a sign of the rifts in our society that even such a no-brainer fails to resonate with those who can’t distinguish lies from the truth.

    https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/editorial/who-wants-be-pm

    Absolutely. Jacinda…you have my admiration. And Vote !

    • Muttonbird 1.1
      26 February 2022 at 10:29 am

      Am coming to the conclusion people don't want to be saved.

    • Dennis Frank 1.2
      26 February 2022 at 4:31 pm

      Although not a leftist by identity I agree that editorial is appropriately framed and articulated. The only bone I found to pick at was a philosophical assertion:

      Truth is logical, because it is the way things actually are in the real world.

      This antique view has been recycled since it achieved hegemony well over a century ago – despite Nobel-prizewinning physicists invalidating it's basis in reality a century ago. Postmodernists extended the relativity of truth view into the social sciences more than 30 years ago. Yet still ignorant opinion-leaders cling onto the myth.

  2. Matiri 2
    26 February 2022 at 8:41 am

    S&P reaffirms AA+ rating.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/462303/s-and-p-global-ratings-reaffirms-new-zealand-s-aa-rating

    "New Zealand has weathered the Covid-19 pandemic better than most countries in terms of health, fiscal, and economic outcomes," the agency said in a report.

    • mary_a 2.1
      26 February 2022 at 11:54 am

      @ Matiri (2) … some positive news for a change in a very unsettled worldyes

      Now let's see what the 7 houses man Luxon and Seymour have to say about this. Better not hold my breath too long.

    • Patricia Bremner 2.2
      26 February 2022 at 3:29 pm

      smiley Robertson has done well.

    • Blazer 2.3
      26 February 2022 at 4:39 pm

      How wonderful!

      In the context of the manipulated 'magic show' what does it mean?

      After the GFC EVERY main ratings agency ,fell back on …'it's just an…opinion'!

      The factors identified by the PSI as the primary causes of the GFC are … In the end, over 90% of the AAA ratings given to mortgage-backed securities in 2006 and 2007 were downgraded to junk status'

  3. Dennis Frank 3
    26 February 2022 at 9:52 am

    Using liberal-speak, a top US liberal explains how sanctions can be made to seem tough without actually being tough:

    On Thursday’s broadcast of “CBS Evening News,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded to a question on whether the United States will cut off purchases of oil and gas from Russia over its invasion of Ukraine by stating that we’re trying to ensure “that we inflict maximum pain on Russia” while at the same time, “minimizing any of the pain to us.”

    Host Norah O’Donnell asked, “Russia’s economy’s fueled by gas, and the U.S. is a consumer. So, would the U.S. consider cutting off oil and gas purchases from Russia?”

    Blinken responded, “Well, what we’re doing, Norah, across the board, is making sure that we inflict maximum pain on Russia for what President Putin has done, while minimizing any of the pain to us.”

    He also stated, “We’re in full coordination with other countries, both consumers and producers alike, to minimize any impact that this may have on energy prices and on gasoline.”

    https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/02/24/blinken-were-not-halting-gas-and-oil-purchases-from-russia-because-were-trying-to-minimize-pain-to-us/

    An important part of US foreign policy is to create a semblance of opposing foreign invaders without actually cutting off your trade with them. Liberals know that appeasing domestic consumers is way more important – so if that means also appeasing Putin, Biden & co will do so and hope nobody notices. Hypocrisy is a basic element of geopolitical stagecraft when you're a liberal.

  4. Dennis Frank 4
    26 February 2022 at 10:02 am

    Labour's lunge for total control and insitutionalisation of a second class of citizens (those coerced out of their jobs) has suffered a serious set-back. The High Court has fired a shot across Labour's bow.

    In a judgment released on Friday, Justice Cooke concluded "the order does not involve a reasonable limit on the applicants' rights that can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society, and that is unlawful".

    "The order… was imposed to ensure continuity of the public services, and to promote public confidence in those services, rather than stop the spread of Covid-19. I am not satisfied that continuity of these services is materially advanced by the order."

    Unvaccinated police officers and NZDF staff who faced losing their jobs on March 1 after the Government determined staff needed to be vaccinated challenged the order in the High Court. One-hundred and sixty-four police staff and 115 from the NZDF were affected.

    https://www.1news.co.nz/2022/02/25/police-and-nzdf-vaccine-mandates-unlawful-high-court-rules/

    Labour could take the case to the Supreme Court but I bet they don't. Perception of Labour's intent to create a dual-class citizenry structure would snowball. Labour's poll rating would immediately head south.

  5. Reality 5
    26 February 2022 at 10:18 am

    The ODT editorial is overdue and very warranted. New Zealanders should be extremely grateful they live here and not in some other countries which we all know about.

    There are times I am ashamed of the vitriol which gets flung at our PM. She does not deserve that.

  6. Ad 6
    26 February 2022 at 10:25 am

    The team over at GreaterAuckland are simply never satisfied.

    They weren't happy with the original cycleway bridge. So they helped kill that.

    Then when NZTA took over the idea they hated that. So they helped kill that.

    Now after killing the cycle bridge, an alternative cycling ferry is also disliked. So they will help kill that.

    A Ferry Impractical Idea – Greater Auckland

    They only solution they can conceive is to put cyclists on a dedicated lane, despite it being a radically unsafe concept and done nowhere else in the country.

    GreaterAuckland sometimes need to actually get behind something and stop the petulant whining.

    • RedLogix 6.1
      26 February 2022 at 2:19 pm

      I used to commute on my bike from the Birkenhead wharf for about 3 years on the old bow loading Blue Boats. Very chill way to start the day; shame the technocrats never tried it.

      Incidentally the rain is still falling here in Brisbane and the SEQ Water system is full, and the big Wivenhoe dam on the Brisbane River is now at a nominal 100% full. Despite the control gates being opened last night it has risen 13% since 6am this morning.

      Technically I think there is another 10% of headroom left before it starts uncontrolled overflow and with the amount of rain still on the radar its going to be a close run.

      • Belladonna 6.1.1
        26 February 2022 at 4:02 pm

        If you were in Birkenhead, rather than Brisbane – you could still commute with your bike on the ferry.
        There are number limits (because they have a limited amount of space for cycles in the bow – without affecting the safe operations) – but it's rare for anyone to be left waiting. Almost all the cyclists are 'locals' (i.e. live within 5 minutes or so cycling distance); rather than the GA vision of people cycling for 30 minutes to get to the bridge (or ferry, in this case).

        There have been a couple of instances of (I think) the Bayswater ferry, not being able to take all the cyclists in one trip. My suspicion is that these were orchestrated by GA – because they seemed to be one-offs for newspaper consumption.

        Greater Auckland are totally invested in finding fault with *any* proposal other than a dedicated cycle-only lane.
        They are perfectly well aware that *if* one is implemented, it will either work (and remove a large part of their demand base), or fail (and make people think the demand was never there).

        The concept of 'perfect being the enemy of good' has no credence in their playbook.

        And whinging about cost! I mean, really. They don't pay for cars, or petrol (and petrol tax), or road user charges. But they think they, somehow, qualify for free transport, when bus users don't….

        • RedLogix 6.1.1.1
          26 February 2022 at 4:25 pm

          Brisbane is laced with parks, bike lanes and paths.

          My daily cycle commute at the moment consists of a 3km ride through deep bushland, 2km past and over a mangrove creek, and to a rail station. Max wait is 15min, then 20 min journey to a station nearer the city – then 10 min along a wide road with a substantial and safe bike path, one major intersection with lights and a ped phase, then another 2 km along a dedicated bike path alongside the Gateway Bridge (very similar to the AHB), then slip off to more parkland under the bridge itself and arrive at work. Total distance would be about 20km and barely 50m of it would I consider unfriendly to cyclists.

          There are mornings when I literally ride in a state of astonishment at how fortunate all this is.

  7. mpledger 7
    26 February 2022 at 10:46 am

    A while ago Weka asked if anyone was doing something about the economic and social costs of covid-19. There is a team at Victoria University doing a study on it at the moment. They want to hear from anyone who has had covid-19 – from those who are asymptomatic (why is that?) to those who have been severely effected in any way. The website talking about the study is here: https://covidaotearoa.com/

    • Ad 8.1
      26 February 2022 at 11:16 am

      The writers' only point is that the mandates will end.

      The Prime Minister has not set out clear conditions on when that will be.

      Or even the conditions in which Cabinet will meet to set out the timetable for that decisions.

      Is it: after Omicron peaks? After the next variant? When hospitals are full? When 80% of under-12's are two-shotted? Once she's decided to set a wedding date? When the experts agree? When she's polling into the 20s? When the government has decided the wage subsidy is too high?

      There is now an extremely high chance that this government will lose the next election.

      Ardern says words like "we're all over it', by really few actions to show it.

      • Bearded Git 8.1.1
        26 February 2022 at 11:30 am

        What planet are you living in Ad? Labour and the Greens are an odds on coalition after the next election.

        Haven't you heard the great blatherer Luxon? Clueless.

      • Patricia Bremner 8.1.2
        26 February 2022 at 11:42 am

        The comment about her wedding, which has been delayed twice, says more about your perceptions than reality. Just a needlessly nasty poke.

        This kind of rant is a dressed up "Are we there yet?"

      • Anne 8.1.3
        26 February 2022 at 8:28 pm

        "The Prime Minister has not set out clear conditions on when that will be."

        Bollocks. She has made it clear that once the peak of this Omicron outbreak has passed and the trend is tracking downwards the mandates will be removed. I suppose you expect her to know exactly when that is going to happen. Well, she is no more clairvoyant than the rest of us, and can't give an actual date but believes "it is not as far away as many people think."

        She made this statement on the AM show sometime this week and repeated it this morning on TV3's The Nation. No doubt she has said it elsewhere. You can check it out for yourself.

        Why do you make what are essentially false claims. You set yourself up as a strong supporter of the Labour Government and then spend most of your time slagging them off. If this is a game you like to play then grow up.

  9. Dennis Frank 9
    26 February 2022 at 11:15 am

    This turned out to be an excellent overview of the situation in Ukraine by someone who has done plenty of research: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018832118/prof-david-marples-putin-s-true-motives-for-invading-ukraine

    Second time Kim Hill has interviewed him. She seems to appreciate his insights. Clarifies the political motives & agenda of key forces, very informative.

    • Ad 9.1
      26 February 2022 at 11:51 am

      Yes excellent detail in there cheers.

    • Belladonna 9.2
      26 February 2022 at 12:37 pm

      Listened to it this morning. Really well-informed and credible source, who made it clear that the whole situation is complex – and there are no angels on either side; while also making it crystal clear that Russia is the aggressor, here.

      He's also just released a book about the War in the Donbas – bringing together a group of experts. "The War in Ukraine's Donbas : Origins, Contexts, and the Future"

      It's ridiculously expensive (small press, from Europe) – but possible that with the flurry of interest, there may be a main-stream pbk. edition released.

      I've asked my local library to buy a copy 😉

    • Ed 9.3
      26 February 2022 at 4:23 pm

      I find John Mearsheimer very interesting on the Russia and Ukraine.

      According to Wikipedia he ‘ an American political scientist and international relations scholar, who belongs to the realist school of thought. He is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago. He has been described as the most influential realist of his generation.’

      I highly recommend people listen to this interview, which was recorded on Tuesday 15th February – before Russia invaded Ukraine.

      Mearsheimer is critical towards basic western assumptions with regard to Ukraine.

      • Dennis Frank 9.3.1
        26 February 2022 at 4:42 pm

        Thanks for that Ed. Tough call @ 80 mins duration but I like the way he intros it so I'll hang in there. I was scanning the books on the shelves behind him & his young interviewer & they each produced a single stand-out title that impacted. His was Commanche Empire.

        Anyway he starts by saying don't blame Putin, this crisis was caused by the west. There are good guys & bad guys, we're the good guys (so the prevalent narrative goes) but

        the United States and its allies are responsible for this crisis

        Then he explains that by saying since 2008 the west has been trying to make Ukraine part of it and that policy has three dimensions. I know a triad when I hear one, so I know the next bit where he delineates the three parts of the framing is crucial…

        • Dennis Frank 9.3.1.1
          26 February 2022 at 5:56 pm

          Okay so the triad makes perfect sense:

          1. NATO expansion eastward to include Ukraine.

          2. EU ditto.

          3. Color revolution (orange) to turn Ukraine into a liberal democracy.

          So at the conclusion of the following April summit the world was told that Georgia & Ukraine "would become part of NATO". He then explained that "Russia had swallowed the two prior NATO expansions" (1999 & 2004) but decided to oppose this third expansion. So in August 2008 Russia went to war against Georgia.

          Then 8 years ago (Feb 22 2014) there was a coup in Ukraine: a pro-Russian leader got replaced by a pro-American leader, and "the US was involved in that coup." Expansion strategy apparently successful? Russia then took Crimea back from Ukraine. It couldn't let the US get control of the Sevastopol naval base therein.

          The civil war ongoing in eastern Ukraine since that coup became a lever for Putin to use to prevent the US achieving control.

          • Ed 9.3.1.1.1
            26 February 2022 at 6:25 pm

            I found his comments about 2008 fascinating. This was when NATO membership was offered to Georgia and Ukraine. It was a turning point in Russian foreign policy as they were never going to accept that.

            • Dennis Frank 9.3.1.1.1.1
              26 February 2022 at 7:35 pm

              After 25 mins he went to questions & started to fill in gaps in his narrative with details & nuances. For instance, he explained that France & Germany were adamant that NATO ought not to expand to include Ukraine. He reckons that's due to their awareness that it would threaten Russia too much.

              The declaration that it would was due to the USA acting unilaterally in defiance of the two, apparently. I suspect it had UK support though.

              He said the UN was useless. Still quite rare for establishment opinion leaders to tell the truth about the UN like that. They want to keep the Security Council veto to retain the sham. They believe sufficient morons of the left & right still exist to make the sham remain viable.

          • Dennis Frank 9.3.1.1.2
            26 February 2022 at 6:42 pm

            Why did the crisis happen now, after 8 years? He explains that Biden is continuing Trump's policy of arming Ukraine. Obama had not done that.

            He says "the Turks gave the Ukrainians drones". No surprise Putin saw this double-whammy as a threat, huh? If Ukraine's army got sufficiently strong to regain control in the east, Putin's lever would evaporate. Deferred entry into NATO then seems feasible.

            Britain & America both arming Ukraine, both training their army, treating them as a de-facto ally. He said the Brits sent a destroyer into Russia's maritime zone last June, then the yanks sent a bomber into Russian air-space. Such provocative military adventuring sends a signal. Putin gets angrier.

            Meanwhile, this squeeze has tanked the Ukrainian economy. He reckons the solution is for Ukraine to become a neutral state but acknowledges it lacks political feasibility at present.

            • Dennis Frank 9.3.1.1.2.1
              26 February 2022 at 7:57 pm

              Around 35 mins he's complaining that US foreign policy remains locked into NATO expansionism. Foolish, he calls that. Because "it's driving Russia into the arms of China".

              The best framing for this is incompetent triangulation. Since Biden gets his strategic thinking from advisers who one would expect to have either been members of the CFR, or been briefed by CFR geopolitical analysis & strategic advisory documents, this appears to be grounds for suspecting the CFR haven't learnt how to triangulate yet. Too sophisticated for them?

              This interview was done on Feb 15 before the invasion and he explains why he doesn't believe Putin will invade (costs too great). Yet Biden had been predicting the invasion for months – evidence that the CFR got that bit right. He says the unipolar thinking from 2008 no longer applies. "We now live in a multipolar world. There are two other great powers."

  10. Macro 10
    26 February 2022 at 11:32 am

    Is this a creditable threat?

    This is the Russian space chief, and it appears he is threatening to let the International Space Station crash into US or other countries if sanctions proceed.

  11. newsense 11
    26 February 2022 at 12:12 pm

    Why has no one made a direct link between the protesters and the unruly tourists? SSDD right?

  12. Belladonna 12
    26 February 2022 at 12:27 pm

    For me, this is an illustration of something that is very wrong with our current justice system. If 'all' the probable perpetrators just refuse to comment, the courts can do little, except charge them with perverting the course of justice (with a minimal sentence). The criminals are manipulating the justice system for their benefit.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/judge-slams-hells-angels-gang-code-of-silence-after-violent-beating-in-whanganui/7VVRWNAAZZDJPCNVRLWAHCAF2Q/?c_id=1&objectid=12507129&ref=rss

    I'd like to see a radical change. If all of the probable perpetrators are silent, then the courts try the crime (was this man assaulted and beaten to within an inch of his life; can the police prove these people were present) – and then convict and sentence them as a group for the crime. The whole lot can go to jail for GBH.

    And, it's not only (or even predominantly) gangs. We see this, time and again, in child assault and murder cases. The family clams up, and prefers the welfare of the criminal adult to the care and protection of the child. The Kahui case is an instance in point.

  13. greywarshark 13
    26 February 2022 at 1:18 pm

    This news item about good invasive trees – perhaps every time a wilding pine is removed, another suitable tree replaces. Or perhaps the established roots could be left and a less flammable and shade providing type could be grafted? Shame to waste roots if they can be utilised for good. What do you think Robert Guyton?

    Anyway this is a bit of farmer good news. Now to get rid of industrial farming in disgusting conditions run from comfortable temperature -controlled electronic management of unhealthy, prophylactic dairy-lactic farm slums.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/countrylife/audio/2018832031/wild-cherry-trees-give-farmer-the-pip

    …He says about 14,000 of the invasive trees have found the sweet spot on his property. "The riverbed freezes and the sunlight never reaches it during the winter so it stays frozen and then as a result, all of these cherry pips germinate."

    Cherry trees have been in the area for more than 100 years, Nigel says. "A local character who owned Birch Hill Station brought some specimen trees back and planted them in his garden and the birds just went nuts. So that's how they all got here, they're spread by wild birds."

    According to Nigel, it's not only the small, intensely sweet cherries that people are after, it's also the cherry wood.

    "It's fantastic for furniture-making, if you're into bodgery*, the green stick style, and for barbeques as smoking wood. It's the best for smoked pork, fish or chicken or whatever," he says.

    The Wilson family runs a herd of deer at the farm with 300 breeding hinds and a mixture of Wapiti and Elk stags.

    Nigel also runs a timber framing and woodwork business from the former shearing shed. His most recent job was building a Viking drinking hall in Rangiora for a craft-beer fillery.

    "'I do that 80 percent of the time and I farm 20 percent of the time when my Dad calls on me…It's a really good mix," he says.

    *Bodgery: Bungling, botched work. Probably related to botch. The OED calls bodgery “obsolete,” and gives only one citation for the word, from the playwright Thomas Nashe, who used it in the late 16th century.6/01/2014

    Word of the Week: Bodgery – Fritinancy

    • McFlock 13.1
      26 February 2022 at 6:42 pm

      Gotta be careful with cherry orchards. They can cause depression, I've heard…

      Seriously, though, cherry wood is pretty good to work with, I hear. Would love to play with some for my little projects.

      I have plum trees, but the problem with plum (as I discovered) is that it seems incredibly prone to splitting radially, which is a bother.

  14. SPC 14
    26 February 2022 at 1:39 pm

    Banishment from the Financial System: the War on Dissent

    Glenn Greenwald

    A case study – WikiLeaks.

  15. Peter 15
    26 February 2022 at 1:58 pm

    I expected to see headlines like "Protestors take Bridge" but the Herald seems to have struggled to bring themselves to say it straight about protestors wanting to walk over the bridge simply doing so. Or protestors wanting to walk over the bridge and authorities being powerless to stop it.

    Which begs questions. Like, can I get a group of mates up and go for a walk over the bridge next Saturday? Do we have to be protesting about something? Is the focus of the protest important? Is there a certain number there have to be to bring the 'can't stop them' clause into play? (Almost said 'triggers a response' !)

    Is having god on one's side a factor in allowing a walk? Does calling it a 'hikoi' have significance in the exercise being challenged?

    How about doing in a Friday morning? We might prefer that day as it fits our schedule better.

  16. Ad 16
    26 February 2022 at 3:04 pm

    Hey where's that commenter who used to come on in every morning and talk about ducks?

  17. georgecom 17
    26 February 2022 at 3:44 pm

    Leo Molloy wants Aucklanders to vote for him for Auckland mayor. I would think a self entitled blowhard big mouth is that last thing Auckland needs. One of his campaign ads "Sort this bloody Shambles out". Would have thought he would first practise what he preaches sorting out the shambles outside Parliament which he is part of. Another says he "demands higher standards from Wellington". Obviously not from the protestors outside parliament he is involved in organising. How about first sort out the shambles and demand higher standards of the protest movement you have organised and promoted Leo.

  18. SPC 18
    26 February 2022 at 7:51 pm

    Microwave weapons are not the only ones protestors have to be concerned about these days.

    Australian Federal Police (AFP) have confirmed the use of a Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD)—often regarded as a sonic weapon—at the massive protest against vaccine mandates in Canberra on Feb. 12, despite the AFP commissioner describing the crowd as “well behaved.”

    “ACT Policing has deployed several types of loudspeakers and amplification devices to quickly and effectively convey voice messages to large, and often loud, crowds of people during the recent protest activity in Canberra,” an ACT Policingsperson spoke in a statement to The Epoch Times on Feb. sixteen.

    “The [LRADs] were only used to convey spoken-word messages. The ‘alert’ function was not used.”

    LRADs, also known as acoustic weapons or sound cannons, are used to project very loud sounds over long distances. While the voice function can be helpful to communicate in loud settings, the device’s most dangerous setting, the alert function, can cause brain damage, permanent hearing loss, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), dizziness, and disorientation.

    The LRADs work by using hundreds of transducers to create a highly concentrated and amplified sound that can be narrowed to focus on specific targeted areas.

    Photos and videos circulating on social media show the LRADs positioned at the front of Parliament House facing towards the location of tens of thousands of protesters

    https://worldnationnews.com/australian-police-confirm-use-of-lrad-sonic-weapon-at-protest-against-covid-19-vaccine-mandates/

  19. pat 19
    26 February 2022 at 7:56 pm

    "For decades, London has been the most important place not only for Russia’s criminal elite to launder its money, but also for it to stash its wealth. We have been the Kremlin’s bankers, and provided its elite with the financial skills it lacks. Its kleptocracy could not exist without our assistance. The best time to do something about this was 30 years ago – but the second best time is right now."

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/25/boris-johnson-russian-money-britain-mafia-state-security

    "The committee heard evidence from senior law enforcement and security officials. It laid out detailed, careful suggestions for what Britain should do to limit the damage Putin has already done to our society. Instead of learning from the report and implementing its proposals, Boris Johnson delayed its publication until after the general election and then, when further delay became impossible, dismissed those who took its sober analysis seriously as “Islingtonian remainers” seeking to delegitimise Brexit."

    No surprises there

    • Poission 19.2
      26 February 2022 at 8:19 pm

      There is a nice outline of the history of the Uk/Russia banking marriage,which was setup by the brits and russians to circumvent the US monopoly on US$ trades.

      That meant that, if you had dollars, you kept them in the United States, where they were subject to the scrutiny of the Federal Reserve. But Soviet officials worried that, if Cold War tensions became more tense, and if their dollars were in New York, the US government might seize them, thus cutting Moscow off from international markets.

      The City of London had a problem too, albeit a very different one. Britain was broke, with a huge hangover of debt left from funding its war effort. The capital flows that had sustained financiers’ incomes had shrivelled, and sterling had lost its role as the world’s leading currency. Banks were moribund, and ambitious young Brits preferred to work in academia, industry, or government.

      The solution to the two powers’ problems came thanks to two banks: the Moscow Narodny (MNB), which was Soviet-owned but London-based, and the Midland, a scrappy challenger unable to attract the deposits it needed to compete with its more established rivals. MNB lent its dollars to the Midland, which used them to buy pounds, with which it could grow its UK business.

      https://unherd.com/2022/02/how-britain-became-putins-playground/

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    We’ve been selected to rock your asses 'til midnightThis is my term, I've shaved off my perm, but it's alrightI solemnly swear to uphold the ConstitutionGot a rock 'n' roll problem? Well we got a solutionLet us be who we am, and let us kick out the jams, yeahKick out ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    9 hours ago
  • Treaty Bill “a political stunt”

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    10 hours ago
  • An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative

    Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    23 hours ago
  • National’s automated lie machine

    The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...

    Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Member’s Day

    Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Northern Expressway Boondoggle

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has been soaring high with his hubris of getting on and building motorways but some uncomfortable realities are starting to creep in. Back in July he announced that the government was pushing on with a Northland Expressway using an “accelerated delivery strategy” The Coalition Government is ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 day ago
  • Never Enough

    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    2 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    3 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    3 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Home again

    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
    5 days ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    7 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm

    Photo by Jenny Bess on UnsplashCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with special guests:5.00 pm - 5.10 pm - Bernard and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    7 days ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 week ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

    The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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