Open mike 27/01/2023

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, January 27th, 2023 - 59 comments
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59 comments on “Open mike 27/01/2023 ”

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  1. tsmithfield 1
    27 January 2023 at 7:13 am

    For something completely different…

    I don't know how many are interested in the hard problem of consciousness which explores the mystery of how physical brain matter and electrochemical interactions at synapses can produce conscious experience.

    The physicalist approach is generally that consciousness emerges from the incredible complexity of the brain neurological system. And there is plenty of evidence of correlation between brain activity and conscious experience. But that evidence provides no explanation for how this occurs. There are some looking at quantum processes in the brain as a possible source for discovering an explanation. But it is all very dubious at the moment.

    However, there are some such as David Chalmers who look at things a different way. Chalmers proposes that consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe similar to gravity and other physical laws. Chalmers proposes that any organised system will have some fragment of consciousness, and we are the pinnacle of that expression.

    The problem is that, if we follow Chalmers logic through, even a light switch is to some small degree, conscious.

    However, I have just been studying the work of Donald Hoffman. Hoffman is

    a professor in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, with joint appointments in the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, and the School of Computer Science.

    So, he is definitely more than an eastern mystic.

    Hoffman goes further than Chalmers. Hoffman is proposing that consciousness creates reality rather than the other way around, and that this has been the result of evolutionary processes. He is trying to prove that through predictive mathematical models at the moment. Here is a really interesting Ted talk he has given on the subject. And, for those who haven't got the time for a 20 minute video, here is a transcript of an interview with him in Quanta Magazine.

    Definitely very controversial, and not mainstream theory. But fascinating nonetheless.

    If anyone wants to go further down this wormhole in a way that is scientific rather than fringe, there is a fantastic series called Closer to Truth on youtube in which qualified neuroscientist, Robert Kuhn explores the topic of consciousness with leading experts from a wide variety of fields. Some great stuff there, including an interview with Donald Hoffman.

    [10 or more links trigger Auto-Moderation that requires a Moderator to review and approve. This is because a large number of hyperlinks is a common characteristic of spammers. For robust debate, political or other, less is more, generally speaking – Incognito]

    • Incognito 1.1
      27 January 2023 at 10:00 am

      Mod note

      • tsmithfield 1.1.1
        27 January 2023 at 10:06 am

        Thanks for that. Will bear that in mind in the future. Just trying to be thorough smiley.

        • weka 1.1.1.1
          27 January 2023 at 12:18 pm

          One thing. you could try is putting a second comment with the references in the clear. eg where you said,

          I don't know how many are interested in the hard problem of consciousness which explores the mystery of how physical brain matter and electrochemical interactions at synapses can produce conscious experience.

          the first link in the second comment would be,

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

          This works for websites like wikipedia, because their URL tells you what the link is about. For those that don't, use the TS comment editor to put your own title in and then the link button for the link so we can see where it goes (esp helpful for people reading on phones). eg,

          How do you explain consciousness? | David Chalmers

          That also functions to stop the YT embed.

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 1.2
      27 January 2023 at 2:13 pm

      Interesting post – consciousness is one of the big mysteries remaining.

      and we are the pinnacle of that expression.

      That seems a bit presumptuous, given the size and age of the universe. On this planet, perhaps.

      • tsmithfield 1.2.1
        27 January 2023 at 2:19 pm

        Yes, I should have added "on earth". There may well be more intelligent life elsewhere. But then there is the Fermi Paradox. LOL.

        I view all of this sort of stuff with interest and skeptisism, which is probably the right way to go.

        • UncookedSelachimorpha 1.2.1.1
          27 January 2023 at 2:41 pm

          Skepticism yes, but unbelievably interesting!!

          My main problem with the Fermi Paradox is it conflates likelihood of intelligent life, with possibility of interstellar travel / communication. To me, extraterrestrial life (and occasionally, intelligent life) seems very likely. But it could be that there simply is no solution to the problem of interstellar travel over astonishingly large distances, no matter how advanced / intelligent you are.

          So lack of observed aliens isn't strong evidence of lack of extraterrestrial life, to me.

          • tsmithfield 1.2.1.1.1
            27 January 2023 at 3:23 pm

            Skepticism yes, but unbelievably interesting!!

            Yes, the problem is, the alternative explanation, that conscious experience springs out of essentially just complex electrochemical interactions is a bid hard to accept as well. The normal explanation that "the brain is incredibly complicated" doesn't really seem to make sense to me.

            You would probably find that "Closer to Truth" site really interesting. He interviews some of the best minds in the world, and asks incredibly good questions.

            But it could be that there simply is no solution to the problem of interstellar travel over astonishingly large distances, no matter how advanced / intelligent you are.

            Possibly. But the number of possibilities even in our own galaxy must be huge. And we are talking about potentially billions of years to colonise space.

            Another explanation I have heard is that it might just be that complex life to our level is incredibly rare, and there may just be no-one around to visit in the relatively small window of our civilisation, which in the context of the universe, is incredibly short.

        • alwyn 1.2.1.2
          27 January 2023 at 3:03 pm

          Perhaps all the intelligent life that appeared elsewhere were like us as represented in the Isaac Asimov short story "Silly Asses" and they very shortly wiped themselves out? If you haven't read it a vey brief summary of the story is here.

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

          • tsmithfield 1.2.1.2.1
            27 January 2023 at 3:31 pm

            Yes, that is another more sobering theory.

            That life eventually reaches a technological point where it has the ability to wipe itself out, and usually does. Hence, noone survives long enough to pay us a visit.

          • UncookedSelachimorpha 1.2.1.2.2
            27 January 2023 at 4:40 pm

            Haven't read it, but I assume a variation on the theme that there is a common recurring process in the universe:

            1) Life yes

            2) Intelligent life (with various problematic and inevitable traits resulting from common evolutionary pressures / history)

            3) Discover nukes enlightened

            4) End Life with nukes sad

  2. PsyclingLeft.Always 2
    27 January 2023 at 7:34 am

    Major supermarket chain Woolworths, owners of Countdown, says it cannot offer large scale wholesale supply at present but is working on delivering what the government wants.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/468177/work-underway-to-meet-govt-push-for-change-in-supermarket-sector-owners-say

    Its final report into the $22 billion sector said competition in the industry was not working well for New Zealanders.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/462908/foodstuffs-and-countdown-dominate-market-but-commerce-commission-stops-short-of-radical-shake-up

    And I would say the duopolists move….VERY slowly..kicking and struggling to not change.

    "supermarkets".A major component of NZers fixed expenses. Everyone needs food and other associated items. Could Labour make a difference ?

    Turning supermarkets into public utilities could solve New Zealand's grocery problem

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/463460/turning-supermarkets-into-public-utilities-could-solve-new-zealand-s-grocery-problem

    There also is another alternative to the greedy gougers….

    A Commerce Commission report revealed in May that Foodstuffs and Woolworths were earning $1 million in excess profits a day.

    Hannah Blumhardt has been living without a rubbish bin for eight years and has not set foot in a supermarket for over five.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/472110/growing-numbers-of-consumers-call-time-on-major-supermarket-owners

    Cmon Labour..there are people struggling here….Make a difference. Could be votes in it ?

  4. ianmac 4
    27 January 2023 at 9:24 am

    I think David Fisher is one of the better journalists and this is well researched on why the abuse on Jacinda matters. And amazing that the Herald allowed his publication! No wonder her tenure was so fraught:

    There is an unfortunate neatness to the online abuse faced by Jacinda Ardern.

    She tried to fix social media and it ate her alive.

    Ardern was the instigator of the Christchurch Call, the multi-national effort to try and establish basic standards by which social media companies will operate.

    The Call stemmed from the livestreaming of the attack in Christchurch in 2019 – the same event that supercharged the baseline abuse of Ardern that began when she took office.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/david-fisher-dont-believe-it-matters-if-jacinda-ardern-was-abused-well-you-need-to-read-this/GHZ5ZVYZ2ZBHDOD77T6U2TYBCQ/

    • Visubversa 4.1
      27 January 2023 at 9:44 am

      Paywalled. Some of us will go to our cremation without paying a dime to The Herald.

      • ianmac 4.1.1
        27 January 2023 at 10:03 am

        I only have the Herald paywall because my son's business account allows it.

        However this should not diminish David Fishers researched column. David Fisher and Kate Hannah, director of The Disinformation Project. Some more:

        Those small pockets include those oft-described as alt-right who pursue similar or connected issues but operate at the edge of the envelope.

        In the rumble-tumble uncertain times of the pandemic those issues coalesced and the lines blurred as people stayed home and reached out online. Social media algorithms played matchmaker, linking the extreme to the mainstream and poisoning our discourse.

        What people stood for gave way to what they stood against and Ardern became the figurehead on which that anger, fear and resentment could be focused.

        That’s not to say there weren’t issues with Ardern’s government. There are issues with every government – that’s why they all eventually get voted out.

        But the issues which arose became intermingled with that figurehead to the point where they were the same.

      • Jilly Bee 4.1.2
        27 January 2023 at 10:34 am

        I hold my nose and pay to get through the paywall in order to read David Fisher's and Simon Wilson's articles, plus one or two others, though I simply ignore all the blatantly rightwing pieces by the usual suspects. I have cancelled my subscription before and will so again if their ongoing campaign of support for the National Party gets further traction this year.

  5. Sanctuary 5
    27 January 2023 at 9:58 am

    The media hang wringing over how it is possible for disinformation to become widespread doesn't involve a mirror…

    https://twitter.com/paultudor/status/1618687482262077441

    • Incognito 5.1
      27 January 2023 at 10:14 am

      The media have this awful habit, which may be a mandatory Editorial directive, not to cite/link primary sources. This dogmatic stance goes against any rules of open & transparent journalism and reporting.

  6. Peter 6
    27 January 2023 at 10:26 am

    Facts about Health? Dr Shane Reti gets plenty of publicity, the sober, considered, experienced word. Telling us how terrible it all is.

    Of course in the last couple of years the likes of his colleague Todd McClay have chimed in about with lack of resources in their regions.

    Simon Wilson in The Herald this week:

    "On the right, though, there’s an obsession with debt. John Key and Bill English, in power 2008-2017, made eliminating it their number-one goal.

    Here’s one example of what that meant in practice. In the five years to 2017, National budgeted a total of only $781 million for “health infrastructure”: mainly, the maintenance and replacement of hospitals. In both 2015 and 2016, the figure was zero.

    The result was that from Whangārei to Middlemore, the Hutt Valley to Dunedin, hospital buildings throughout the country were allowed to decay. Many, we have since discovered to our horror, are rotting, dangerous and urgently need replacing.

    In Labour’s five years from 2018, they allocated $5.8 billion to addressing this. But to make good on the years of neglect, there is still much more to do."

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/simon-wilson-chippy-vs-the-donors-de-luxe/76LVB2BAA5HD5B5GREONLV7J2I/
    (Paywalled)

  7. Jimmy 7
    27 January 2023 at 10:48 am

    I found this interesting (not really politics) but I really cannot see why the ANZ should be responsible for this 'prominent kiwi entertainer's loss of $100k. Yes I know banks make excess profits, but they shouldn't have to pay for other people's decisions.

    "A member of the bank’s international team advised him to check the beneficiary was legitimate, and if he was unsure, not to proceed."

    The ANZ even asked again "When questioned again if he was comfortable sending the large sum of money to the offshore beneficiary, the entertainer told ANZ: “My financial adviser tells me it’s a perfectly legitimate company.”

    Prominent Kiwi entertainer loses $100k in sophisticated investment scam – NZ Herald

    Imagine if the ANZ had refused to transfer the funds for entertainer. They would have complained about the bank then too. .

  8. Visubversa 8
    27 January 2023 at 11:12 am

    This person with an ovarian tumor is not "male". They should not be called so in medical literature.

    We wonder if all gender confused female patients are explicitly warned by “gender doctors” about the risk of ovarian cancer prior to administering testosterone?

    This is a massive harmful medical experiment on our children.

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-020-01129-4

    • Molly 8.1
      27 January 2023 at 12:39 pm

      Such a depressing read. One paragraph split into salient points to consider:

      "1. The presence of a sex hormone-sensitive cancer is a contraindication to testosterone therapy, but there are no formal recommendations for the use of testosterone in patients with SBT.

      It is known that testosterone increased the likelihood of this person getting cancer, however, given that there are no formal dosages in place for adolescents who have already got cancer, this knowledge will not affect future prescription.

      2. Given the importance of gender-affirming therapy, which has been shown to reduce suicide risk and improve overall well-being,14 our multi-disciplinary team carefully weighed the risks and benefits of restarting testosterone therapy and, in the context of a completely resected tumour and ambiguous risks associated with endogenous steroids, ultimately recommended restart.

      Reference to a limited and biased study on suicidal risk and well-being, means that along with ignoring the development of cancer in this particular individual, we can collectively absolve ourselves of the responsibility of restarting the exogenous hormone therapy, and point the finger elsewhere if another tumor develops.

      3. Appropriate tumour surveillance was also unclear as there is no data to guide management in this area.

      We don't know how to monitor this person's ongoing health, or determine what to look for.

      4. The team recommended at least 5 years of periodic transvaginal ultrasounds of the contralateral ovary unless oophorectomy was completed sooner.

      We can fall on the standard in regards to ovarian tumors, but given the transgender status of this seventeen-year old, a successful approach will be the removal of the remaining ovary. Which will ensure infertility and lifelong dependence on medication, but that is not our purview. We just do oncology.

      5. While transvaginal ultrasounds were deemed of higher sensitivity, transabdominal were prioritised given patient preference."

      Given the uncertainty surrounding monitoring: the what and the when, although the how is more effective when done as prescribed, we will cater to the patient's desire for another method, which adds to the uncertainty of effectiveness.

      A seventeen year old woman, who has only been on exogenous hormones for a few months has developed a cancer not usually seen in adolescents, which may be a result of testosterone. She is being treated by medics whose primary focus is to maintain affirming hormone treatment, not critically assess and determine what the best option are for prolonging life, maintaining health and/or fertility.

  9. Red Blooded One 9
    27 January 2023 at 11:39 am

    Black alert at 11 Auckland beaches due to wastewater overflows https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/483196/black-alert-at-11-auckland-beaches-due-to-wastewater-overflows

    If only there was a party trying to fix our poor water systems. 💧 oh right there is. I hope there isn't too much of a back down on 3waters.

    • Visubversa 9.1
      27 January 2023 at 12:33 pm

      The Central Interceptor will fix a lot of that in relation to the isthmus beaches, but in the meantime there are things we can all do.

      Install a rain tank. You can get a detention/retention tank that fits under your eaves or under your driveway. It holds back the first flush of stormwater in rain events, which is the cause of wastewater overflows where the WW/SW pipes are not separated. It gives you non-potable water for your garden, and – with the required building consent – water for flushing toilets and for the first rinse of your washing machine. It will save you $$$ on your water bill as well as saving water.

      Br careful where you wash your car. If you wash it somewhere that drains to the street you are putting a dose of particulates, heavy metals, etc straight into the ocean as the street drains usually go to the nearest watercourse. If you would not throw the soapy water into the sea or the river, don't put it in the gutter.

      Pick up that dog poo. If you kick it into the gutter, or leave it on the berm which drains to the gutter, you are contributing to the fecal coliform count in the harbour through the gutter drains.

      There is a lot that goes into keeping our beaches and harbours clean and very little of it is cheap. That is why we need 3 Waters.

  10. tWiggle 10
    27 January 2023 at 12:18 pm

    A Guardian opinion article makes a very salient point about the inherent classist nature of non-means tested pension age entitlements. UK pension age is shifting from 66 to 68, the pension is inflation-proofed, comes from the general tax fund or National Insurance (I think; go! Cullen Fund).

    The classist nature comes in with data on UK 'healthy life expectancy'.

    "Men in Richmond-on-Thames will, on average, live healthily until the age of 71, while for men in Blackpool, a healthy life expectancy is just 53 years, meaning they will wait in bad health, unable to work for 13 years, before qualifying for their pension at 66.", and

    " 'If 68 becomes the new pension age, 60% [of UK men] reach that age with a disability that prevents them working' ".

    Plus, richer, healthier people get the pension for longer, of course.

    I was interested in this article because I had been thinking of the equivalent in NZ with pension age rise, regarding the poorer health outcomes and life expectancy for Māori.

    Also, having long ago read a biography of MJ Savage's importance in the set up of the NZ Welfare state, he was extremely forceful on the 'no means testing' and universal entitlement of benefits like the Family Benefit and Pensions. His reason was, as an Aussie who lived through the 1880s depression, when up to 40% of Victorian men were longterm unemployed, he had felt the injustice in barring those who owned their own homes from social support, and who consequently lost them. Plus the humiliation of hoop-jumping to receive social help.

    So I support the principle of universal entitlement, kinda. But is my support for this fair? was it fair to replace Family Benefit with Working for Families? One argument for universal entitlement is that political damage is more often done at policy level, with smaller hoops and more red-tape used to strangle social support for our neediest citizens (and residents). Another is that rich people like getting free stuff too, and are less likely to vote for, and politically fund, dismantlement of social benefits (cunning man, Savage).

    Readers, I'm confused. Shouldn't we be strengthening our core social support network, rather than more and more targetted legislation like Employment Insurance? But I do know that raising pension age in NZ will definitely disdvantage Māori more. And I'm against policies where taxpayers' dosh goes straight into the pockets of banks and landlands (Accommodation Supplement).

    And how does universal entitlement protect against the injustice of pension age limits? There would need to be parity between the pension and minimal hoop-jumping for longterm disability that precludes employment.

    Universal Basic Income sounds like a great idea. Until you see UBI in the UK being mostly a direct taxpayer subsidy to the employers of workers on zero-hours contracts and under-paid jobs.

    Readers, I'm confused.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/26/britain-rich-pensioners-state-pension-age-68-poor

    [Link added – Incognito]

  11. satty 11
    27 January 2023 at 12:43 pm

    Grant Roberson goes list-only: Grant Robertson to retire from electorate, run on party list (NZH)

    With Nicola Willis competing for Ōhāriu now (see Stuff), it could be an interesting electorate – Wellington Central that is. I think James Shaw (assuming he's still stands for Wellington Central) will be looking forward to the upcoming election.

    • gsays 11.1
      28 January 2023 at 7:30 am

      When that was reprted in RNZ, it was followed by the observation that this move would make it easier for Robertson to retire if Labour do not get elected.

  13. Ad 13
    27 January 2023 at 1:55 pm

    Grant Robertson going list only for Labour says to Hipkins get your Shadow Minister of Finance lead ready now in case you lose in October.

    At least English had the courage to go leader after Key left.

    Robertson. This better not be a BAU budget. It's the last big roll of the dice we have "in the tank".

  14. Anne 14
    27 January 2023 at 2:44 pm

    If ever there was proof that Barry Soper is as nutty as a fruitcake this is it:

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/the-front-page-barry-soper-on-the-legacy-of-jacinda-arderns-political-career/BCOUHBNZZVHRPMVRJTPSFEFVIM/

    Now how did I guess in advance, which former PM Barry believes Jacinda Ardern is the most reminiscent of… 🙄

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 14.1
      27 January 2023 at 4:43 pm

      Hilarious.

      Before clicking on the link, I said to myself "Rob Muldoon!", to pick the most absurd and ridiculous choice I could think of.

      ….low and behold! Soper really has no clue whatsoever.

    • Belladonna 14.2
      27 January 2023 at 7:20 pm

      "But Soper believes there’s another politician that offers a tenure more analogous to that of Ardern – and he comes from the ranks of the Labour party: David Lange."

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/the-front-page-barry-soper-on-the-legacy-of-jacinda-arderns-political-career/BCOUHBNZZVHRPMVRJTPSFEFVIM/

      • Anne 14.2.1
        27 January 2023 at 9:29 pm

        Yes. I didn't quite get to the end of the item.

        Now that is more analogous in the sense that Lange also had a drama filled term in office. I refer in particular to the nuclear free legislation and the Rainbow Warrior bombing.

        I'm currently reading (at least re-reading after 20 years) Lange's book "Nuclear Free" where he dissects exactly what happened, and why the stand-off with the US and Britain became so fraught… culminating in NZ being tossed out of ANZUS. A fascinating story of misunderstandings, wrong interpretations and a head-in-sand attitude towards NZ and NZers.

        Lange also resigned as PM before the end of his second term and probably for the same reason as Ardern. He was exhausted.

  15. Muttonbird 15
    27 January 2023 at 10:17 pm

    The system allows for the posting of an mp4 file using the image button.

    If you don't like it perhaps you can have Lprent disallow it rather than blaming users.

    Trying to alert this forum of the seriousness of the situation but you decided to censor that…

    …just delete the whole thing for god’s sake.

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

  16. Muttonbird 16
    27 January 2023 at 10:56 pm

    I didn't post that tweet and don't agree to you replacing what I did post with it.

    Take it down, please.

    [TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]

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    Last night the largest solar storm in decades resulted in Aurorae being seen across Aotearoa, causing many to ask why?Why was the sky pink? What was all this stuff about the power grid? Have we, as so many have wondered since the election, reached the end of days?I had a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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