Open mike 27/11/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, November 27th, 2019 - 36 comments
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36 comments on “Open mike 27/11/2019 ”

  1. Jenny How to get there 1

    The concentration of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has reached a record level, scientists at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who conducted readings at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii revealed.

    The scientists said that the 415.26 parts per million (ppm) recorded over the weekend was the first daily baseline reading coming in over 415 ppm.

    https://www.pmnewsnigeria.com/2019/05/13/carbon-dioxide-level-in-atmosphere-hits-record-high/

    Countries have procrastinated for too long and need to begin making steep cuts to their greenhouse gas emissions immediately, or risk missing agreed targets for limiting global warming, a senior United Nations official said.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/117734106/weve-wasted-too-much-time-warns-un-in-emissions-gap-report

    Not only are Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere breaking all records the rate of increase is accelerating.

    To sign national and international agreements to reach carbon neutrality by such and such a date, if these agreements contain no agreement to make actual cuts in Green house gas emissions they are just 'aspirational', as John Key was once proudly announced about his climate policy.

    When will we start making our immediate ‘steep cuts’ in our greenhouse gas emissions?

    As well as when, where should we start?

    • soddenleaf 1.1

      Co2. Cars. Private motors, overwhelmingly inefficient usage patterns. Just count number of people in a four seater. Trips that could be rebalance by freeing up the corner store. Technology that let's us work from home, can also bring basic goods to the end of the road store. The whole parking lot superstore is already being undercut by individual deliveries, just as co2 burdensome. Yet put a assortment of items in the back of a truck, delivers to the end of the road store, and everyone walks for their daily groceries. Low co2. The west needs to ditch the car cult.

      • Naki man 1.1.1

        Cars are here to stay, They just need to be electric. Groceries would only be more expensive from a corner store and i have helped carry them home in 1970. That would never work now. Many kids won't even bike or catch the bus to school.

  2. Sacha 2

    Community trumps divisiveness, writes former top journo Linda Clark: https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/11/27/920665/if-it-sounds-or-looks-like-trump-press-delete

    The Prime Minister talks a lot about the politics of kindness but I prefer the politics of community; where all those who can put their energies into drawing out the connections we have with one another, rather than the differences.

    New Zealand is a cluster of different communities but among and across those communities we can find common ground – if we are prepared to look and listen for it. The non-politicians amongst us do this all the time in our sports groups, our school boards, our fund-raising committees. We don’t agree on everything but we work out ways of working together positively and in ways that maintain community connections.

    Now more than ever, if we want to avoid Trump’s polarising virus, the national conversation needs the same goodwill.

  3. A 3

    Good riddance to another dodgy landlord.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/117733831/landlord-says-cards-stacked-against-her-in-tenancy-tribunal

    The tenants told the tribunal she threatened to terminate their tenancy when they disputed or complained about something.

    "They believed that the termination was issued because they took her to the tribunal, asserted their rights as tenants and she was upset they would not pay an account for electrical damages," the ruling said.

    They also claimed she breached their privacy and quiet enjoyment.

    She had tried to move them to "Hamilton Garden Motel Guest and Landlord Agreement for Short Term Tenants", arguing that they were in temporary accommodation and the Residential Tenancies Act should not apply. They had lived there for between two and five years each.

    Gu said the Tenancy Tribunal would "spoil tenants" and treat landlords unfairly.

    "That's why the housing problem is getting worse and worse."

    She said she was in the process of painting and recarpeting one of her flats with a view to selling it.

    She had approached Housing New Zealand about buying it. The others would be sold over time, she said.

  4. I suppose it was inevitable – New Zealand politics descent into the swill of populist appeal.

    After all, it worked for Trump and Morrison.

    Soimun’s ‘tough on gangs’ rhetoric, while being ultimately meaningless, and from evidence in Australia, largely ineffective, appeals to the redneck/blinkered section of the middle class.

    And, in the cosmic scheme of things, in the face of an impending/actual climate crisis of catastrophic proportions, a bloody sad waste of time and energy.

  5. Anne 6

    Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the Erebus tragedy. Today's podcast from the Herald's series "Litany of Lies" is about the fall from grace of Justice Peter Mahon.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12286432

    It sums up the entire tragedy of the Erebus affair and one man more than anyone else was responsible for the deep divisions, the loss of careers, the severed lives of innocent people and reputations left in tatters.

    Yes, I'm referring to Robert David Muldoon.

    I sincerely hope this is the story that ultimately comes out of the sad saga – what happened to those people who found themselves caught up in the aftermath through no fault of their own. My story is one of them and some of it would beggar belief, but it's all true.

    • greywarshark 6.1

      I hope you have written what you know down Anne and on someone else's computer, and taken a copy of it. One day it will have a place in a critique of that period of our political regress.

      • Anne 6.1.1

        It's documented grey and in detail.

        • greywarshark 6.1.1.1

          For the future – truth will out eventually.

          I have just listened to a male reporter on Trending now but can find no written details as to whom, talking about the Erebus disaster. He was saying that the phrase 'litany of lies' would never have been said if there had been two or three judges in the commission of enquiry.

          The tenor of his report was that the frank opinion of Judge Mahon would have been suppressed or diluted by others. I suppose that there are many such examples of sliding away from the truth in this country.

          • Anne 6.1.1.1.1

            Justice Peter Mahon was a man of letters – a well read man who had a rhetorical flourish to his style of writing. For him, the phrase "orchestrated litany of lies" would have been a normal form of expression, but to many people – who were less well read and lacked his breadth of knowledge – it would have come across as excessive.

            It was the only part of his report that was challenged. His actual finding of Air NZ culpability was never challenged but the media of the day did not highlight that fact.

            So Mahon ended up dammed by one and all.

          • Karol121 6.1.1.1.2

            Another series of comments today regarding the; "litany of lies" remark used in part summary by the late Justice Peter Mahon is in today's NZ Herald and elsewhere.

            Today, the comments are presented by Judge Gary Harrison, who was heavily involved with the matter at around that time.

            Yes. The deception by Air New Zealand during that era was clearly evident, but with the public having entirely accepted the words of this respected member of the bench (Justice Mahon, that is), so many seemed to form an opinion that the pilots were to have been considered free of blame.

            In fact, all that was really clear from the Royal Commission of Inquiry findings was that Air New Zealand (as a corporate body) had simply contrived to lay the entire blame on the pilots, but unsuccessfully, and where the attempt to do so was a highly inappropriate thing to do.

            Additionally, it was apparent that the company had at the very least, not attempted prevent the destruction of pertinent evidence relating to the event. Again, highly inappropriate conduct.

            Actually, despite public opinion after the inquiry, the pilots were not actually absolved of blame nor culpability, after the standards which should have been applied and maintained at the time were reviewed again.

            But it was certainly evident that the airline had made concerted efforts to "stitch them up". After all, neither of them were in any position to speak on behalf of themselves.

            The pilots and a generous number of others were collectively responsible for the event. No one individual nor group of individuals could reasonably be held responsible for it on their own.

            It was simply a tragic tragedy chain, comprising many human links.

            It would be refreshing if the whole Erebus 901 blame game and finger pointing thing ceased. And the sooner the better.

            The more it is dwelt on, the more likely the heartache and the anguish will remain strong, and even more likely the bitterness will remain present.

            And yes I admit that it is I who am dwelling on it today, yet again, but really only in relation to Judge Harrison's public outpourings and not relating to any matter which he has presided over as a judge.

            And hopefully for me, on this topic, for the last time in any public forum.

      • Exkiwiforces 7.1.1

        I've just finish reading a chapter in a book called "British Generals in Blair's Wars", which is a bit of an eye opener to say the least.

        Anyway back to Basra, after the pom's ended combat operations in the Basra area they into a internal security/ peace stabilisation operation. The British General in charge of the Basra AO got all the major players/ HoD's from the former Iraqi Government for a meeting to get all services back up running and form a central planning committee to oversee with help from varuios specialise British Army Units and imbed members from the Brit TA whose day jobs back in the UK were identical to their jobs in Barsa. With the idea of overseeing the Iraqis bringing back on the services, problem solve, provide training, provide a CoA for the long term IRT funding for rebuilding the services, training etc etc.

        Just as the Pom's were slowly getting their post conflict plan up and running (bear in mind there was no overall Post Conflict Plan prior to the first round going down range, during or to the last round down range from the Yanks. Read this book from Pommy POV and as I said its an eye opener.). This fuckwit of an yank called Bremer decided to sack everyone of the former Iraqi Government from the Top down and everything turned to shit soon afterwards.

        It's probably no wonder Basra is still without its services today because of this fuckwit's decisions and we could still point the fingers at the other 3 muppets who should never be spoken of again.

  6. SPC 8

    I suppose it's only a coincidence that National's law and order policy was presented by the the party leader around the time of the end of year opinion polls …

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkSFxWARrZY

  7. Gabby 9

    Wonder what fiscal hole Slick's funding his lawn ordure polussy from.

  8. Molly 10

    If anyone plays boardgames with their family, and doesn't understand the appeal of Monopoly, the original version "The Landlord's game" was created by a Quaker woman, Elizabeth G Magie and the story behind the original game is that it could be played with two sets of rules, one that created a society and one that rewarded monopolist capitalism.

    The person who purchased the outdated patent of the original game has produced a reproduction, which is now for sale. (Quite pricey given the additional shipping, but quite a few board games are around $150 NZD.)

  9. greywarshark 11

    In June 2019 there were wildfires in wild uninhabited areas in the far noth of the Northern Hemisphere. We have to plant urgently in NZ and as a world response, just to keep up with what is burning down.

    In June, the fires released an estimated 50 megatonnes of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of Sweden's annual carbon output, according to Cams. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/395357/arctic-ablaze-in-unprecedented-wildfires

    What have the wild animals been able to do? Would they have been able to run away and survive. What would have been left to eat afterwards? In every fire there is destruction of living beings of all sorts, from insects up.

    2019 https://siberiantimes.com/ecology/others/news/massive-wildlife-tragedy-as-bears-and-foxes-flee-taiga-while-smaller-animals-suffocate-in-smoke/

    2019 https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/23765/russian_wildfires_pictures/

    2019 https://theconversation.com/huge-wildfires-in-the-arctic-and-far-north-send-a-planetary-warning-121167

    2019 https://www.vox.com/2019/8/1/20750200/siberia-wildfire-russia-fire-smoke-trump-putin

    The problems for Siberian tigers in 2001 – https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1392-forest-fires-threaten-siberian-tigers/

    Yet there are plans to cut down trees in Auckland as a complete project because some deskhound, green or brown, has set a target that sounded right at the time it was thought up. The thinking is another example of last century slow-burn thinking carried forward. Trees should be considered individually. Ideas about natives being planted en masse are only good if they are extra, not the traditional way of clearing all before some new project is implemented.

    • solkta 11.1

      Yet there are plans to cut down trees in Auckland as a complete project because some deskhound, green or brown, has set a target that sounded right at the time it was thought up.

      Stop talking through your arse. The plan has the full support of the Tree Council and Forest and Bird. These are people who are arborists, biosecurity specialists and others who have been doing the mahi on the ground for decades. It is also not a matter of “clearing all” as the majority of trees on the maunga are natives.

  10. Eco maori 12

    Kia Ora 1 News.

    Its good to see that wealthier cheats are getting held accountable for their cheating.

    Any publicity is good publicity to some people.

    Let's hope no one is poisoned from the American chemical factory fire the smoke will be loaded with chemicals.

    Ka kite Ano.

    Ka kite Ano link below

  11. Eco maori 13

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    I think that they should keep the Opotiki maternity unit open the Wahine have a long road to get to Whakatane from the Coast .???????.

    Awsome that Purirua the government giving Ngāti Toa whenua to build their Tangata whare Ka pai.

    Great to see that Whangarei is getting government help to build Marae style Whare for the 70 homeless people. A Whare is very important in Tangata Whenua Culture

    Ka pai to the zero waste program being promoted by Tangata Whenua.
    Good that the Auckland Council are taking Kauri Dieback seriously and protecting Tane Mahuta and his mokopuna

    Ka kite Ano

  12. Eco maori 14

    Kia Ora Breakfast.

    I back a system with the lowest carbon footprint to deliver the goods to Aotearoa biggest city Auckland.

    It would be stupid to send the goods to another port and fright it by road or rail back to Auckland. Instead boost fright to Tauranga and up North after all we should be doing everything we can to become more effective and efficient in every aspect of our lives. It's not all about the money people any more.

    Cool that Yellow Birds ethical sestanable fashion clothes for your tohu sustainable products is the new Gold.

    The Judge could read there body language.

    Ka kite Ano

  13. Eco maori 15

    This is great showing Aotearoa that fright can be trucked around on Electric power only this story gives me a sore face.

    ​The truck has been launched with assistance from the Government's Low Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund.

    Watch: Alsco explains how and why a heavy EV makes sense for New Zealand.

    Alsco New Zealand has launched what it claims is the country's first "inter-city heavy EV" truck.

    The company,formerly known as NZTS, serves about 30,000 customers per week cleaning and delivering uniforms/linen and distributing cleaning products.

    Alsco is now running a Hino GH 1828 truck with a fully-EV power system producing a continuous 259kW (372kW maximum) and 1825Nm (3500Nm peak). The range to complete battery depletion is 200km

    The composite design of the truck is by Action Manufacturing and includes a body with extra curves for improved aerodynamics, which it claims saves 5-7 per cent in fuel on any type of truck

    The new truck replaces a diesel vehicle. With calculations based on an average 5.6 tonne load carried over the same 284km route daily, Alsco claims the new plug-in truck will save at least 25,000 litres of diesel and 67,610 kg of CO2 per year.

    The build of the electric truck cost $225,938; with the Contestable Fund grant of $50,126 it was $19,915 extra over an equivalent diesel unit

    With the difference in electricity/diesel cost, less than half the maintenance and no Road User Charges (itself a $34,378 cost for the diesel truck), the capital cost of the EV truck will be recovered in 0.4 years

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/motoring/EVs/117770655/nzs-first-intercity-ev-truck-is-on-the-road

  14. Eco maori 16

    We just have to look into our past and see what we did in those days and replacate them to minimise our carbon footprint.

    Cut the wrap! UK dairy farm aims to be first to go single-use plastic-free

    Staff at Mossgiel farm hope to promote a more sustainable model of dairy farming, including delivering milk in reusable glass bottles

    Lying in a field of grass among his herd of dairy cows, Ayrshire farmer Bryce Cunningham picks up and pretends to throw away a plastic carton of milk. This is what we want to get rid of on our farm, he says in a promotional video, as he explains his quest to become the UK’s first single-use plastic-free milk producer.

    After raising more than £10,000 from a crowdfunding campaign, he’s managed to replace single-use plastic cartons with 32,000 glass bottles adorned with the face of Robert Burns – who’s said to have once worked on the farmland – which he is able to wash and reuse.

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/28/scottish-dairy-farm-aims-to-become-uks-first-to-go-single-use-plastic-free-mossgiel-ayrshire

  15. Eco maori 17

    Ka pai this will be a model that tangata whenua should copy.

    Tūhoe touts eco status of planned first of 40 co-housing villages

    Charlotte Jones, local democracy reporter

    The Eastern Bay could soon become the epicentre of co-operative housing in New Zealand.

    Tūhoe and a private group of individuals are both looking into building co-operative housing in the region.

    A resource consent application has been lodged on behalf of the Tūhoe Charitable Trust to build a 25-unit eco village at the old Tāneatua railway yard on the corner of Morrison and Station Roads.

    The second group is at a much earlier stage in its housing dream with a meeting planned next week to gauge community interest and progress the idea.

    Tūhoe's proposed eco-village is the first of 40 the iwi wants to build for its people. The village will be similar to Tūhoe's Te Kura Whare which houses its governing body Te Uru Taumatua

    The development and will contain communal gardens and orchards, a communal kitchen and dining area, solar electricity, roof collected rainwater as a water source, onsite botanical wastewater treatment and disposal and encouragement away from heavy reliance on private motor vehicles

    Tūhoe has received written approval from four neighbours to the site while another three have expressed concerns about privacy, construction noise, traffic and whether the eco-village could affect the resale value of their homes

    The council understands the intention is to provide services at the village in an environmentally sustainable manner, including not connecting to existing infrastructure," said Mr Begley.

    Ka kite Ano link below

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/404423/tuhoe-touts-eco-status-of-planned-first-of-40-co-housing-villages

  16. greywarshark 19

    Name suppression. WTF. Haha on us the public that we can't be protected against nasty little termites after their precious.

    7 Aug 2019 The serial fraudster, also known as Joanne Sharp, landed work at the ministry some six years after getting name suppression when she was prosecuted for defrauding Tower Insurance.

    From late 2013, Harrison used fake invoices and bogus contractors to con the transport ministry out of $726,000.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/114732640/10k-rolex-watch-among-assets-seized-from-fraudster-joanne-harrison?rm=a

  17. Eco maori 20

    Kia Ora 1 News.

    Its the new phenomenon buying products made sustainable and ethical.

    Its good to see some Australians getting justice.
    That was a big explosion at that Texas chemicals plant.

    Ka kite Ano

  18. Eco maori 21

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    That's a good thing people getting goods donated for Samoa in there time of need.

    Ka pai Heartland for reaching out to help tangata whenua get mahi with the organisation.

    Cool to see tangata whenua getting into the clothing fashion industry.

    Ka pai to the Maori Basket ball player to get into the Basket ball Hall of Fame.

    Ka kite Ano

  19. Eco maori 22

    One point I would like to make is towns and cities sewage system carbon footprint is not included in the data.??????????????

    Climate Change: Everything New Zealand needs to do to get to zero carbon

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/117587959/climate-change-everything-new-zealand-needs-to-do-to-get-to-zero-carbon

  20. Eco maori 23

    Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.

    https://youtu.be/9o_jVHmU_V4

  21. Eco maori 24

    Kia Ora 1 News.

    I think that the Maori Council is still got Mana.

    The South land Paparoa and Pike River 29 track looks like a great walk into Aotearoa forest.

    That's good a new drydock may be built in Whangarei.

    Why would a charity burn the Great Rainforest in Brazil that they are trying to protect. These people who think that there lies are going to be believed if they repeated it are not nice at all.

    Ka kite Ano

  22. Eco maori 25

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    That's good that people have reported oil pollution going into the Awa we must treat all our Wai as taonga that they are.

    That Awsome the Taramaki Iwi mahi together and celebrateing it to make a better future for their mokopuna kia Ora.

    Ka kite Ano

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    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    2 days ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 hours ago
  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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