Open mike 28/08/2019

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, August 28th, 2019 - 58 comments
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Open mike is your post.

For announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose.

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

Step up to the mike …

58 comments on “Open mike 28/08/2019 ”

  1. vto 1

    Jacinda Adern doesn't come across very well any longer I think… too earnest, too many mealy words and qualifications, too much hesitation.

    This combined with little real left-type action (e.g. letting the wealthy retain tax-free capital income) points to trouble with re-election imo.

    Time to toughen up, speak more clearly, straighten the shoulders, do bolder things

    • Rapunzel 1.1

      Maybe some people are better at putting on various masks than others, I prefer the honesty of the moment probably due to a number of frustrations I'm sure it will pass.

    • Sacha 1.2

      Winston First may struggle to be re-elected for the governing coalition ditching CGT, I guess.

      • weka 1.2.1

        My awakening horror is that as National track right, NZF will pick up soft right votes and get to control the formation of government again.

        If Labour are out at the next election, NZ will get the future it deserves.

        • OnceWasTim 1.2.1.1

          "If Labour are out at the next election, NZ will get the future it deserves."

          That's my fear in a way – that we may have to sink so low before an awakening, and by that time there'll be SFA left. (I'm a glass half full kinda guy).

        • ankerawshark 1.2.1.2

          My opinion is that Ardern's popularity has gone down because Ihumatao. Protesters have targeted her with their demand that she visit the site/march to her electorate office. Leading to some on the left no longer supporting her as the preferred PM.

          I accept I could totally be wrong about this.

          Jacinda is not the problem. If we lose the next election is will be a horror show.

          BTW VTO your barely worth replying to in terms of how Ardern sounds. She is a good 30 points above Simon and I strongly believe that popularity has gone down because of Ihumatao. Its a year out to the next election. Long time in politics.

          • weka 1.2.1.2.1

            Afaik her popularity hasn't gone down. There was a rise after the mosque shootings, which seems pretty normal to me, and now it's dropped back to what it was before. Also seem normal to me.

            According to the polls, and let's not forget the forces of manipulation at play from the right and the MSM.

          • James 1.2.1.2.2

            meh – most people don’t care about Ihumātao at all. They will however if the government puts their hand in the tax payers pocket (even for a loan). Then you will really see popularity drop like a stone.

            Still there are are plenty of other issues that it could be: kiwibuild, light rail not starting, complaints of sexual assault in the PMs office – the complete and dismal “year of delivery” backing off on CGT to name a few.

          • Chris T 1.2.1.2.3

            Personally think it hasn’t really come down.

            It has just returned to what it was before the massive jump from Ch Ch

            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opinion_polling_for_the_next_New_Zealand_general_election#Individual_polls

        • Dukeofurl 1.2.1.3

          "If Labour are out at the next election, NZ will get the future it deserves."

          A plausible scenario next election is Greens bigger vote than NZ First who then decide to go with National.

          That means Labour and Greens out . Winston has always liked a 'simple coalition' rather than 3 legged stools

          • weka 1.2.1.3.1

            this is my concern too. I had been hoping that Labour getting NZF votes and Greens getting Labour votes would work, but with National going right Peters may just end up following. Otoh, what can National offer him policy-wise if they've gone Trumpian right?

        • McFlock 1.2.1.4

          Which is basically National's best hope for government. But the nats are really hoping for a further-right party to be their politically-relevant friend. But that's not looking likely at all.

          • weka 1.2.1.4.1

            now I'm trying to imagine a scenario of the L/G govt and a Nat no mates and NZF opposition. I guess the Nat vote would have to collapse. Looking at the 2nd term election for Clark's government, the Nat vote went to NZF but between them they didn't have the numbers. I'm trying to remember what Labour were doing that was kept them there.

            • McFlock 1.2.1.4.1.1

              Watched the Alliance rot from the top down and made JimA deputy PM. Although Labour had ruled out a coalition with NZ1 in 2002, they played UF over the Greens.

              Lots of parties in parliament in those days.

    • Might be spending too much time with her 'officials' ?

      "Ultimately" it will all sort itself out in the wash "going forward"

    • Sanctuary 1.4

      Thanks for your observations, I am sure they'll be noted with the gravity they deserve.

      • vto 1.4.1

        ha ha, I'm sure 2c goes a long way in Wellington…. can you even buy a lolly for 2c there?

        • aom 1.4.1.1

          Fancy admitting your observations are only worth 2c VTO. Mind you, that might be infinitely more than Sanctuary thinks they are worth.

        • OnceWasTim 1.4.1.2

          If I were the PM and quite a few of her Ministers, I'd be putting a few of her senior officials on the Drip Dry setting. It bypasses the Spin cycle and saves time and heartache having to iron out all the bloody wrinkles afterwards.

          They'd be some of those officials that thought it quite OK for example to use the likes of Thompson and Clark. As far as I know, not too many of them have yet been held to account in any sort of meaningful way

          • Rosemary McDonald 1.4.1.2.1

            If I were the PM and quite a few of her Ministers, I'd be putting a few of her senior officials on the Drip Dry setting. It bypasses the Spin cycle and saves time and heartache having to iron out all the bloody wrinkles afterwards.

            Brilliant!

            I heard the other day that a person with whom I had small contact with in the course of their work as a National appointee to a disability work stream is now working in the Office of the Prime Minister. Strange, as I had the impression that this person was 'on to it' disability wise. Strange, because my constant moan at the moment when doing my usual government document search on matters disability is"… who the bloody hell is advising these Ministers???'

            From my recent post on Pubic Address…https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/access-reviewing-funded-family-care-and-repealing/?p=382656#post382656

            Another update on this from the Misery of Health’s website.

            They have released this Cabinet Paper dated September 2018.

            Also this 51 page tome dated around about when the announcement was made in July.

            There’s over eighty pages of discussion, and since both Peter and I struggle to read volumes on screen I began to print them out.

            Big mistake. Will I ever bloody learn? Not quite as many solid blacked out redactions as the Previous Incumbents’ effort that so riled readers here on Public Address back in 2013…but not far off.

            Simply not acceptable.

            Not.Fucking. Okay.

            Open and transparent government my arse.

            • Dukeofurl 1.4.1.2.1.1

              Heard of the Ombudsman and their OIA guidelines. Check it out and if you dont like the deletions APPEAL.

              Clearly its a major interest for you but dont just let it slip.

              • By the way, I think we probably reached 'peak spin' 3 or 4 years ago.

                I'm waiting for "Kaizen principles" to be reinvented and trotted out under a new label.

                For the first time in my life of voting 'to the left' (Labour mostly with a tinge of Green), 2020 is going to be a bloody hard decision. (Did I tell you about the latest little Pinot Gris I've discovered darling? It goes wonderfully with the NZ salmon – which you can get 25% cheaper in Okkerland))

            • OnceWasTim 1.4.1.2.1.2

              Yep, well to continue the analogy (from someone who has jumped in and out of the PS most of my life), there's also no need for the toxic fabric softeners either. And they just might find there'd be organisational culture improvements, the peons would feel safer and less bullied, staff turnover might get better (especially in places like the Munstry for Everything, but elsewhere),the number of Employment Court cases would reduce, and the idea of actual 'public service' (i.e. ekshully serving the public) might return.

              Meanwhile ……………

              It's possible they might even be able to catch up with things like Visa processing, or cases of worker exploitation, or processing Warrants and Certificates of Fitness, or closing down shoddy education, or even bloody radio interference (if that's even still on the agenda), or proper monitoring or oversight in a number of areas.

              The downside of course is that Astoria's business might take a huge dive but that'd be quite easy to fix

            • Sacha 1.4.1.2.1.3

              who the bloody hell is advising these Ministers?

              And is anyone listening to them? – organisational culture sets the filtering out of 'distractions'.

            • New view 1.4.1.2.1.4

              The problem is dumping Ministers looks like the Government doesn’t know what it’s doing. !!!?? If National had a leader! The Coalition would be in shitters ditch.

    • Anne 1.5

      Time to toughen up, speak more clearly, straighten the shoulders, do bolder things.

      There's an element of truth to vto's comment.

      Jacinda's tough, but it's time she showed it more. Yesterday in response to Paula Bennett she retaliated with a barb which went straight to the heart of the matter under discussion and created a minor uproar. She reminded Paula B that:

      " I would never weaponise people's personal information" It was a direct reference to Bennett's release of the financial details of the two solo mums back in 2010.

      “The quote by JA is around 5 mins in.)

      It was a perfect response and there should be more of this kind of rhetoric coming from Jacinda Ardern. It is an essential part of the political fabric to treat 'like with like' and can't be avoided if Labour wants to remain in power.

      I too, find her responses to interviewers to be less than clear on occasion both in delivery and content. It's as if she's trying to appease everyone and it often comes across as piecemeal and hard to decipher. Relatively brief down to earth responses will always have a bigger impact on voters than slightly rambling dissertations.

    • New view 1.6

      VTO. 1 Wow nothing to add from me except support for your comment.

  2. Sacha 2

    Great animation of nations ranked by military spending year by year, 1914-2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw2Wm8T6tio

  3. esoteric pineapples 3

    I was interested to discover through doing an interview with farming land use consultant, that the furore in the region I live in over people buying hill country farms and converting them to forestry has nothing to do with the government's One Billion Trees Programme. Instead he says the conversions are being driven by good commercial returns on forestry when the trees are harvested, along with additional cash flow from carbon credits. The 50 Shades of Green sheep & beef farmer lead movement seems to have conveniently conflated the two together, and it is being reported as such in the media

    • Dukeofurl 3.1

      Often the 'hill country' is marginal for stock and prone to erosion. Usually the deal will involve keeping the flatter parts in production and only taking out the steeper parts.

  4. greywarshark 4

    What is the matter with the civil service – they are failing to do a good job for the citizens. The Home Office in the UK has been reprimanded over a misleading advertisement and their first response is to disagree. We get the Departments spending taxpayers money to fight what appear to be reasonable judicial decisions.

    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49488324

    Brexit: Home Office advert banned for 'misleading' EU citizens

    And some Brits are finding us too dear. Oh dear now someone else has noticed we aren't 100% anything maybe the gummint and smart-business will get their a into g.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/on-the-inside/397602/what-makes-britain-great-fewer-brits-up-sticks-to-head-our-way

  5. William Joyce 5

    So we are set for a "bonfire" of regulations?

    It is tiresome to have so many business people parroting (on the likes of Q+A, The Nation etc) things they heard at the latest business breakfast.

    "We need to get rid of red tape"
    "We need to reduce government regulation"

    If you cannot do business in NZ it is most likely not the fault of government.

    The World Bank's latest 2019 Doing Business report has ranked NZ, for the third year running, as THE NUMBER ONE EASIEST ECONOMY IN THE WORLD in which to do business.
    – better than Singapore, Denmark and Hong Kong (2, 3 & 4 respectively)
    – better than the US (#8), UK (#9), Australia (#18)

    https://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/doingBusiness/media/Annual-Reports/English/DB2019-report_web-version.pdf

    So why the need for a regulation bonfire? To cynically exploit an unexamined bias against government in order to gather votes? Yet another dog whistle?

    If your business is not doing as well as you would like then you had better look at other factors than regulation:
    1. External environmental factors (the advice given in almost any year one of a business degree – know your operating environment) i.e the world economy, weak or absent demand for the widgets you produce, trade protectionism in foreign markets etc etc
    2. Internal environment factors – management failure, poor or short-sighted planning, unrealistic expectations, lack of innovation & research to keep up with customer demands etc.

    <sigh>

    • Ad 5.1

      In the regulations that matter most to business customers, however, businesses find massive barriers to entry against them, and plenty of government weakness to perpetuate it. There are near-cartels operating in whole industries including:

      – Supermarkets

      – Media

      – Oil and petrol supply

      – Electricity generation

      – Primary and secondary education

      – Telecommunications

      – Insurance

      – Banking

      – All construction materials

      – Sea ports

      – Alcoholic drinks

      All of those need massive competition interventions by the government because we know they are screwing us for either service or cost or both. Few are natural monopolies such as public water. So far this government has started on petrol, but we won't see any results to that this term. That's it.

      National should concentrate on promising to smash some cartels up. Voters I am sure would take notice.

    • KJT 5.2

      Biggest barrier to small business is National, impoverishing our customers.

      Their sneaky charges, support for businesses who underpay migrant staff, and cuts to business services don’t help either.

  6. greywarshark 6

    The upper-class authoritarian rule of the Conservatives under Boorish. Can't have a very restrained mural about the EU on a wall of a booring building.

    https://katv.com/news/entertainment/banksys-brexit-mural-disappears-from-wall-in-seaside-port

  7. Ad 7

    I am sure there will be avid kayakers who will support this decision of Minister Parker to stop the power station on the West Coast Waitaha River.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=12262859

    But to me it's a much bigger call than Minister Smith declining the gondola concession into Fiordland National Park a few years ago.

    Forest and Bird of course love it. Even though I'm a member, I disagree with them on this one. Their statement:

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1908/S00698/waitaha-river-saved-from-hydro-scheme.htm

    With the sale of Westland Milk, Westpower are one of the last New Zealand owned west coast corporates keeping lots of people there on good salaries. No amount of serving coffee to tourists at $18 an hour will compare to this kind of business.

    Here's the Minister's statement in full:

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1908/S00281/waitaha-river-hydro-application-declined.htm

    I probably don't have to describe how the monolith 51% owned generator and retailer Genesis is sucking blood out of us, and the government essentially assisting them by crunching any attempt at major competition doesn't help us consumers:

    http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1908/S00781/update-genesis-underlying-profit-up-on-improved-retail.htm

    Also hard to see anyone wanting to invest in the ability to make us 100% energy renewable using any kind of water resource after this.

    Bit of a bugger for the West Coast all round.

    • Andre 7.1

      Yup. As a kayaker who once upon a time might have had the skills to paddle that gorge (but would never have had the cojones for it), I do indeed support Minister Parker's decision.

      In terms of adding to renewables capacity, there's hundreds of megawatts of wind farms already consented, but not being built due to lack of demand. Against that background, a decision to decline a 20MW scheme that would trash a pretty special bit of river seems just simply the right thing to do.

      • Ad 7.1.1

        'Consented' is therefore of no consequence to whether the West Coast or electricity renewals will benefit then.

        WestPower had the money and will to do it.

        Nothing was going to be "trashed". Fully backed by DoC.

      • greywarshark 7.1.2

        The people with enough money to enjoy NZ and like to do it in style should be considered as top priority? It may be good to have water conserved in a dam or lake, and make electricity too. Kayakers might have to suck it up and go elsewhere. This is not the 20th century, and we run the risk of losing a lot more than a thrilling set of rapids.

        We are building a dam here in Tasman. I hope it is being built for practical purposes of having water available in droughts, which is the stated reason. If it is to change land use to irrigated dairying it will result in some very angry people who have lost a clean lovely river.

        The west coast if it stuck to the basics of water conservation, not exporting it, and electricity at lower prices to the local area would not be disadvantaged.

  8. greywarshark 8

    Business, we have learned how to start them. But how to keep them going and profitable seems our problem.

    When we decided to make exporting a push for NZ to make more money and opened up our borders and chucked out the tariffs, it put a lot of people out of jobs within a short time. The attitude was that new jobs would grow which would take us into the future at a more modern level. We would be seeing more high tech, value added jobs. But the 'hospo' jobs that have arisen have been built on low wages, and the 'modern' has disappeared. So ordinary workers have had their opportunities to make their way in life diminished by the behaviour of government.

    There seems to be the same attitude to the micro businesses that people are forced to start up to have an income, and then compete with each other and profits can be absent. Competition can include foreign sharks coming from Britain to take us down! There can be barriers to income with councils working on roads and cutting off the customer access to a tiny family business. Police may shut off a road and access to shops there while they scour the area for evidence after a crime in poor areas. Sub-contractors don't get paid after working on a job because of a rort.

    There need to be a group of trouble shooters who can act as movers and shakers as part of a Small Business Agency. Tiny businesses can call to them for help, when the machine of state pushes their ability to make a living aside.

  9. Eco maori 9

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    I agree Aotearoa is in a great position to weather the financial storm being created by America.

    The capitalists are lureing our Rangatahi to vaping our government is going to bring them back to heal with new legislation to stop the advertising targeting youth.

    That's a good move putting food in lower decial school some tamariki have no food in their whare what A crying shame.

    boris is just a fool who likes to win at all cost watch his party flop out.

    I don't think a NZ Mp using a cryptic phone while in China is offensive to China. They know that its not about trust. Its about making sure that one coms is safe they would use those pH all the time.

    Good on you Greata sailing to America to champion human cause climate change We are doing our bit to lower our carbon footprint to Ka pai.

    Ka kite Ano

  10. Eco maori 10

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Condolences to Pita Pione whanau I'm sure he will be missed by his whanau

    I, , whanau make sure you pepi and tamariki have been vaxcernated don't risk them getting measles do all you can to avoid them catching the virus.

    Our Government putting lunches in lower decial school will be great for tangata whenua Rangatahi quite a lot of our tamariki are in lower decial school.

    New trade training in Manukau and other places in Auckland will help Maori and Pacific youth get a great skill set and qualification to lift them up there ladders of life. This move back to training our youth with trade training is well over due I tryed to get my son into a good trade but there were to many Awa to cross to get them in a course in those days.

    That's great Tainui is mahi with the Cook Islands people that's the way many hands make light mahi.

    Ka kite Ano

  11. Eco maori 11

    Kia Ora The Am Show.

    Science is advancing fast its not going to be long before we have technology that advances learning to just PAY and down load the knowledge hence the wealth will have a huge advantage over the rest of us. Hence we need simple smart solutions to this un democratic phenomenon as everyone has to be held accountable for their Actions.

    This measles outbreak is happening all Around the Western Papatuanuku cause right leaders get power they slash social security payments to the people slashed health spending and give hundreds of billions of dollars to subsidys to the carbon barons..

    Food in school for the poor tamariki is a perfect opportunity to teach tamariki how to eat healthy foods. Eating and food is a very serious subject in A GREAT country France they feed there tamariki at school and teach them to eat healthy foods after all we are what we eat.

    Ed music fits in with the common people across the Papatuanuku I like his music Aotearoa was one place were his music started to hit the charts first kia kaha Ed.

    When we have had a government that shorts the housing market so it takes one person's wage to pay rent add organisation beening aloud to hire people on temporary no hours guarantee employment contract they don't know if they will get 2 hours or 50 hours for the week they can't guarantee putting food on the table . The price of good food has gone from being one of the cheapest in the OECD to the dearest in 9 year. Thanks steven once Head of the retailers accocation. The Trolls have a cheek trying to justify their putting down free food for tamariki. Eco Maori wrote the above words before the Wahine from Kids Can came on the show.

    Fungi Truffles Mushrooms ect are a super food that is under underutilised in Europe its quite the trend to forage for mushrooms Peter I say you using our great food produce is awesome I enjoy watching your shows. That is going to be the new way to do thing use the local food or food with a low carbon footprint like ours I sit here watching sheep with 3 lambs at foot enjoying Te Ra sitting in a green grass paddock

    I agree the money organising are fleece people the whole Papatuanuku over why charge heaps for a computing transactions to change currency and all the other services that are just computer transfer????????.

    Tris great subject I don't agree that New Zealand did not support the Great White Shark being protected by the international community sad but this subject was under the rada there was little reported in the media on the subjects.

    Ka kite Ano

  12. Eco maori 12

    Kia Ora Newshub

    I think it's great that our government is investing in growing seaweed for food production it is a super food that we need to grow commercialy to feed the people in the future.

    I think that study about genitics on gay people is fulse of course its genitics not just the environment effects. I have seen people from baby's displaying a gay behavior the people who commissioned this study are religious or people who are against our gay community.

    No comment on the USA space commanded

    Its great that Aotearoa fashion community is celebrating diversity having elderly models large models this is a great move to getting people to except equallity for all as just showing the perfect person actually discrimination against the others whom are a different culture colour.

    Ka kite Ano

  13. Eco maori 13

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Tahu Potiki is a well respected person in the Maori community he got a big send off.

    Ka pai to Te Maori King for going to Rarotonga to meet their leaders

    Its excellent that our government is putting money into Para kore to boost the zero waste program for marae.

    Cool seeing other native cultures included in the physicalogical society a lot of western institutions ignore Te tangata whenua knowledge

    I agree with Dr Kopu the stats don't lie there is case of instructional raceism in New Zealand even the Eco Maori phenomenon points directly at the problem.

    Ka kite Ano

  14. Eco maori 14

    Some Eco Maori Music For The Minute.

    https://youtu.be/5Yj4j_lZMBo

  15. Eco maori 15

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    That is what is needed everyone getting vaxcernated against the infection of measles through pop up clinics in Auckland.

    Drug companies hide the negative effects of the drugs they make all in the name of profits.

    I back the workers of sky city striking for a better wage and fair conditions.

    There is great interest in Tangata Whenua O Aotearoa Arterfacts Art and culture awesome.

    Checking twice for bikes is a great way to teach people to think about their fellow people on the road riding bikes Ka pai.

    Its about time Brazil is making moves to stop the fire in the Amazon that farmers was just talking with his wallet no though process going on there fool.

    Ka kite Ano

  16. Eco maori 16

    Kia Ora Te Ao Maori News.

    Ka pai Jared your mahi teaching tangata whenua about living a sustainable life with a low carbon footprint is excellent I talk to everyone about zero waste and lower carbon energy. I will be copying you and planting a food forest my cus has one. With that life style one is busy most times.

    A lot of doctors discrimination against tangata whenua I know how the Wahine felt. I have seen it with my own eyes I make sure I deal with them professionally mite be a bit loud but that's because Te atua gave me a strong voice.

    People need to respect Ngāti Toa haka Ka mate and ask if they want to use it commercially. Its tatau tatau give and take but a lot of people just want to take take take.

    Ka kite Ano

  17. Eco maori 18

    Eco Maori tau toko this brave young Wahine I say all the tamariki of the Papatuanuku should join her in protecting there future environment from the lying cheating carbon barrons love of money over LIFE ON EARTH.

    Teen climate activist Greta Thunberg was joined by swelling and excited crowds of American teenagers at a protest outside the UN headquarters in New York on Friday, in a further blossoming of the youth environment movement given extra thrust by the Swede’s transatlantic boat crossing.

    Advertisement

    Some US children said they were at their first ever climate demonstration; others said they had been passionate about the environment for a while but had been galvanized to act by Thunberg’s rising profile.

    On Friday afternoon, Thunberg and two young activists were spontaneously invited inside the UN for a meeting with a senior leader, described as “very supportive”.

    Greta Thunberg 'wants a concrete plan, not just nice words' to fight climate crisis

    Read more

    Just two days after Thunberg disembarkedfrom a yacht in New York, following two weeks on rough seas crossing from the UK, young protesters dominated the crowd of up to 1,000 outside the United Nations skyscraper in Manhattan.

    They came together to demand politicians and older generations take urgent and comprehensive action to reverse the climate crisis.

    Carrying hand-drawn placards with messages such as “United behind the science” and “Act now or we will”, children and young people of all ages surged into a park in front of the flags of the world outside the UN on Friday morning.

    Thunberg sat cheerfully but pensively in the middle of the rally, which had a rather more earnest than festive atmosphere. Young speakers gave spontaneous speeches or led chants of “System change, not climate change” and “Don’t just watch us, join us.

    Ka kite Ano link below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/30/greta-thunberg-un-climate-protest-new-york

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    1 week ago

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

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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