Open mike 29/05/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, May 29th, 2020 - 173 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 …

173 comments on “Open mike 29/05/2020 ”

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  1. Ad 1
    29 May 2020 at 6:41 am

    It is pretty sickening to see the expansion of an authoritarian state in real time.

    But here it is: China makes a move to fully suppress all anti-government dissent on Hong Kong 20 years before the treaty signed with the UK government runs out.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/world/asia/china-hong-kong-crackdown.html

    This sits well with the context provided by RedL yesterday concerning the growth of Chinese aggression recently:

    "1. CV19 has done two things; one is that the exemplary Taiwanese response (they actually warned WHO of CV19 human to human transmission on Dec31) is a major loss of face for the CCP, and also obviously it has caused a major distraction in the USA.)

    2. The withdrawal of the USA from global affairs is becoming increasingly obvious. US overseas troop deployments in total is now less than 100,000, lower than any time in the past century.

    3. The Chinese military has dramatically expanded it's capacity in the past few years. In particular they may well believe their new hypersonic missile capacity gives them the ability to keep the US Navy aircraft carriers at a safe distance.

    4. They keep on saying that they are preparing for war.

    5. Their military are in the middle of major invasion landing exercises on Hainan Island. Also in their sights are an invasion of the Dongsha Island group ."

    More chillingly for little old New Zealand, Australia for having the temerity to propose an investigation into the Covid-19 virus in China has been delivered hard counter-hits from China with major restrictions on imports of Australian beef and barley. The next step will be coal, and they've done that before.

    It may well be all coincidence, but the intended chilling effect is that Australians believe clearly that it really is retaliation by China:

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/26/chinas-trade-bans-are-retaliation-to-covid-19-inquiry-more-than-half-of-australians-say

    This has had the intended effect of getting Australia's government to prepare for some lengthy backwards moonwalking:

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/22/take-a-calm-breath-agriculture-minister-seeks-to-cool-escalating-trade-hostilities-with-china-over-coal

    New Zealand is now in a state where we are totally reliant on the economic performance of Australia and China. The US's Mike Pompeo may well be standing up for Hong Kong, but the contest is far bigger already. And New Zealand is closer to the crosshairs of China than we have ever been.

    • Monty 1.1
      29 May 2020 at 10:34 am

      China has also moved thousands of troops into territory claimed by India along the shared Himalayan border

      https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/27/china-and-india-move-troops-as-border-tensions-escalate

      • OnceWasTim 1.1.1
        29 May 2020 at 8:48 pm

        And China's been playing silly buggers for years testing and pushing the boundaries to see if someone blinks 3 or 4 years ago when I was there, Chinese earth-moving equipment was discovered a kilometre inside Indian territory in Sikkim (adjacent to the border with Bhutan),

        Xi Jinping, Trump, Bolsenaro, Netanyahu, Putin, Modi and a few others seem to want to expand their territory to accommodate the size of their egos.

    • SPC 1.2
      29 May 2020 at 4:30 pm

      In India they have sent troops beyond the area in dispute and the troops are taking up defensive positions.

      The intent being to force India to agree to the border claimed by China.

      In sych with the exercises to take islands by force, the message is clear. China in betraying the Hong Kong agreement has chosen to reveal it is prepared to seize by force what others do not concede in talks. It’s foreign policy is now fear and obey.

      When globalism is replaced by nationalism, the wolves amongst nations soon prey on the weak.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 1.3
      29 May 2020 at 4:31 pm

      "And New Zealand is closer to the crosshairs of China than we have ever been."

      Impressive fearmongering. Extending your analogy, the CCP won't be ‘pulling the trigger‘ on NZ just yet IMHO, but (out of interest):

      1. Do you think NZ recently became a little closer or a lot closer to 'China's crosshairs'?
      2. With the ‘Red Menace‘ in abeyance, how best for NZ to keep the 'Yellow Peril' at bay?

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

      • Ad 1.3.1
        29 May 2020 at 5:00 pm

        If you don't believe that the trade embargo has happened, go ask the Australian Embassy. Ask them if they feel targeted.

        But since all you can do for discussion is withdraw into a corner with your little p.c. blankie, you're clearly not built for any useful discussion.

        The full Five Eyes partners have come out against China's actions against Hong Kong.

        All of the actions described above demonstrate increased Chinese aggression.

  2. Robert Guyton 2
    29 May 2020 at 7:10 am

    Would it be a fair assessment to say that as the fallout from lockdown unfolds; recession or depression, wide-spread unemployment and shortages of all sorts; the National Party and its supporters will do everything it can to erode public confidence in the Government, attack it's leading figures and their plans to keep the country buoyant, use dishonest methods to turn voters against the 3 parties in Government and mislead New Zealanders as to their own ability to manage the coming difficulties? Would it not be prudent/wise/morally responsible to set aside such behaviour for the good of all New Zealanders, refrain from wasting the energy we'll need and perverting the plans that have till now, served us very well, simply because National's Politicians seek to be back in power?

    • Sabine 2.1
      29 May 2020 at 7:29 am

      My best bet for the current lot in government to secure their re-employement in government via the election is to do decent work, and maybe be a little less cynical and a bit more future minded rather then just throwing around band aids to some and a big fat nothing to others.

      But National will do what National does – and it would be down right foolish to believe that would not do what they do. After all they too want to keep their well paying jobs in parliament, it sure beats working in private industry – or trying to find a job – at the current times. (btw, that applies to ALL of the suits in parliament)

    • aj 2.2
      29 May 2020 at 7:54 am

      Would it be a fair assessment…

      Yes.

    • Treetop 2.3
      29 May 2020 at 9:09 am

      What if Covid-19 becomes endemic?

      This would be any governments worst nightmare. Years of health and unemployment costs, limited tourism and increased crime. A person needs to work out what is and is not important when it comes to who they vote for at the next election. I do not need the National Party to tell me that a deep recession or a depression is going to be next.

      • miravox 2.3.1
        29 May 2020 at 10:01 am

        "What if Covid-19 becomes endemic?"

        I know I shouldn't say it, but… If we have to live at Level Two for the forseeable future I think that would be a good thing

        [fairyland hat on]

        Limited tourism, increased local production and we're not treating people like sardines that can be packed into an economic can for profit. We'll not have the health costs with a cultural swing to physical distancing. Unemployment will take care of itself as business adjusts to an economic model that moves away from mass-consumerism and excess profit.

        [hat off]

        We need a coalition government that can work within the new parameters of infection control and bring the people along with it. That government is not National. Labour/Greens have some work to do.

        • Treetop 2.3.1.1
          29 May 2020 at 10:43 am

          Your vision is agreeable. I trust the current government the most to steer the country through the rapids.

        • Janet 2.3.1.2
          29 May 2020 at 11:46 am

          "I know I shouldn't say it, but… If we have to live at Level Two for the forseeable future I think that would be a good thing"

          I say it too .

          and if we don,t have to live at Level 2 that is the way we should be going anyway, after a big conversation on what kind of a country we are aiming for; sustainable or not and that starts with a big nationwide discussion on what is a sustainable population level for NZ. I see us as a Norway of the Southern Hemisphere with our wilderness areas no longer being compromised and our manufacturing growth an extension of our agrarian production.

        • Foreign waka 2.3.1.3
          29 May 2020 at 4:26 pm

          Miravox – No it wouldn't.

          And I cite:

          The law sets up the legal framework for future alert levels as there is no longer a State of Emergency. It effectively allows the Health Minister to issue an order that would make alert level rules legally enforceable.

          That might include, for example, the ability for police or "enforcement officers" to close certain premises or roads, ban certain types of travel or congregations, or require people to be physically distant or to stay at home in their bubbles if necessary.

          It also would allow warrant less searches of private property if there was a reasonable belief that the alert level rules were being broken.

          Every Human Right organisation has voiced concern and while Hong Kong fights against state and police control, NZ seem to embrace it. Go figure.

          • McFlock 2.3.1.3.1
            29 May 2020 at 4:45 pm

            Something about the prospect of drowning in your own lung fluid makes people support infectious disease control, eh.

          • miravox 2.3.1.3.2
            29 May 2020 at 4:47 pm

            Fair call. I shouldn't have generalised. I'd like some ofthe benefits of Level 2 to become normalised in our everyday life without requiring restrictive legislation for that to happen.

            I'd like not for us to go back to the mass tourism, mass consumerism and businesss as usual with the exploitation of people and planet we have at Level 1. I like that we have practically ended people living on the streets at level 2.

            • Foreign waka 2.3.1.3.2.1
              29 May 2020 at 6:01 pm

              Amen to that, but lets not get the focus away on any unintended consequences.

              We certainly need to prioritize and I would say 2 issues need immediate attention: clean water and a stop of pumping the life (literally) out of aquifers and transport infrastructure including rail that gets diesel trucks off the road. It would provide plenty of work in that downturn and contribute to a better way of life that the next generation deserves.

              Just a start and it is feasible.

      • Barfly 2.3.2
        29 May 2020 at 12:14 pm

        "What if Covid-19 becomes endemic?"

        Well shortly New Zealand will be covid-19 free- in a world where covid-19 is endemic NZ will be the most or one of the most popular places in the world for TV and Movie making – bring your staff do the quarantine and then you can do the work just like you used to – anywhere else not a shits show

        • Cinny 2.3.2.1
          29 May 2020 at 7:59 pm

          NZ will be the most or one of the most popular places in the world for TV and Movie making

          A friend was saying today, that a good mate of hers who works in the film industry, was telling her the same. And the flow on effect for the hospitality industry could be just the boost they need.

    • weka 2.4
      29 May 2020 at 11:29 am

      Yes. The issue then becomes what is the best use of *our time and energy and creative powers? All of us.

  3. Jess NZ 3
    29 May 2020 at 7:15 am

    Enjoy and share and walk around with chorus in your head all day. 🤣

    HRH* Nathleigh has produced this stan music video to recruit Australia's next Prime Minister. 😁😁😁 So please help to spread the word =) (*Human Resources Headhunter)

    https://t.co/i8CN0IBNiL

  4. gsays 4
    29 May 2020 at 8:18 am

    There is a return to the '90s in the US. Tensions are high just like the tinder box that was set off by the beating of Rodney King.

    The police actions are bad enough, but the following inaction compounds the injustice.

    https://i.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/300023356/violence-looting-in-minneapolis-after-george-floyd-police-killing

    Chuck D and Public Enemy called it before it kicked off.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k6MlwT1lBk0

    • Ad 4.1
      29 May 2020 at 8:35 am

      Public Enemy wasn't commenting on police brutality or racism.

      They were complaining about representations of black people through Hollywood.

      Burn Hollywood burn I smell a riot
      Goin' on first they're guilty now they're gone
      Yeah I'll check out a movie
      But it'll take a black one to move me
      Get me the hell away from this TV
      All this news and views are beneath me
      So all I hear about is shots ringin' out
      About gangs puttin' each others head out
      So I rather kick some slang out
      All right fellas let's go hand out
      Hollywood or would they not
      Make us all look bad like I know they had
      But some things I'll never forget yeah
      So step and fetch this shit
      For all the years we looked like clowns
      The joke is over smell the smoke from all around

      Burn Hollywood burn

      • gsays 4.1.1
        29 May 2020 at 10:07 am

        Yes, ostensibly the song was about racism and Hollywood.

        Not everyone that was rioting was on the streets because of Rodney King.

        In the same way folk that are upset now, isn't just because of Eric Garner and George Floyd.

        Hollywood's profound influence also impacted on the woman who phoned police because a BLACK man was videoing her recently.

        P.E. we're spot on, not bad for a bunch of 'rabble rousers'.

        Edit oops, sorry mods, spotted the F in the name field too late…

      • Tricledrown 4.1.2
        14 June 2020 at 11:21 pm

        Reinforcing prejudices

    • Treetop 4.2
      29 May 2020 at 9:36 am

      I was reading last night how quickly a person can get hypoxia (condition where not enough oxygen makes it to the cells and tissues in the body) during an anaesethic. When I saw the footage of the officer obstructing the airway of George and hearing George say he could not breath and the officer ignoring George and seeing George lose consciousness and the officer still not moving I realised that I was witnessing manslaughter.

      I do hope that the officers are all put on trial and I know that this will not bring George back.

      I am outraged and I suspect this occurs a lot and is covered up. There is a lot of ongoing tension in the USA with lives not mattering and due to the officers behaviour they have created further distrust and frustration in those who want change.

      • Sacha 4.2.1
        29 May 2020 at 10:22 am

        Murder, not manslaughter. Nice try.

        • Treetop 4.2.1.1
          29 May 2020 at 10:48 am

          I initially wrote murder and changed it as Floyd did not die at the scene.

        • McFlock 4.2.1.2
          29 May 2020 at 2:44 pm

          Murder is if he intended the person to die.

          That having been said, it has long been recognised that restraining someone improperly can lead to their death. Shit, I was only a bouncer and I was explicitly taught to be exceptionally careful about it. Including warning signs like "I can't breathe" followed by "playing possum" [which isn't].

          In an equitable society, I suggest that there would be some criminal issues for a court to consider.

          • Sabine 4.2.1.2.1
            29 May 2020 at 7:38 pm

            he might not intended,

            but he sure as heck could not give two fucks if the guy did die.

            so yeah, murder fits. Nothing accidental about having your knee on the windpipe of a man in handcuffs for nine minutes.

            the only reason this guy is not in prison is because he wears the blue uniform. Anyone else would be in the box, and charges would be thrown at them.

            • McFlock 4.2.1.2.1.1
              29 May 2020 at 10:43 pm

              Law's all about intent.

              And it's a bit difficult to lean on a windpipe when they're face down.

              I do agree with your last paragraph, though.

              • Sabine …
                30 May 2020 at 7:52 am

                and one could argue that keeping your knee on the winpipe of a men who is restrained by handcuffs and two other officers is intend.

                To bad if he lives, really. The intend was for him to die.

                The cop intended to do no good, and it matter not one bit to him if the guy on the floor lives or dies. And that my friend is intend.

                btw, he was charged with third degree murder.

                Maybe they need a few new laws on cop who murder while in uniform.

                • McFlock …
                  30 May 2020 at 1:58 pm

                  If it can be argued one way, then it can be argued the other. That is what courts are for.

                  3rd degree murder is basically equivalent to manslaughter. If the cop intended him to die, that would be second-degree murder (plain murder in NZ). If the cop had planned in advance to kill him, that would be "first degree" murder.

    • Morrissey 4.3
      29 May 2020 at 10:14 am

      It's not a “return to the ’90s”, it’s normal life there. This virulent and sinister racism, from Central Park in New York to San Francisco, is a constant in the United States.

    • Psycho Milt 4.4
      29 May 2020 at 12:24 pm

      Ice Cube probably said it best about the Rodney King riots:

      https://youtu.be/C8V66bxvM2Q

    • Macro 4.6
      29 May 2020 at 8:47 pm

      Protestors Criticized For Looting Businesses Without Forming Private Equity Firm First

      MINNEAPOLIS—Calling for a more measured way to express opposition to police brutality, critics slammed demonstrators Thursday for recklessly looting businesses without forming a private equity firm first. “Look, we all have the right to protest, but that doesn’t mean you can just rush in and destroy any business without gathering a group of clandestine investors to purchase it at a severely reduced price and slowly bleed it to death,” said Facebook commenter Amy Mulrain, echoing the sentiments of detractors nationwide who blasted the demonstrators for not hiring a consultant group to take stock of a struggling company’s assets before plundering. “I understand that people are angry, but they shouldn’t just endanger businesses without even a thought to enriching themselves through leveraged buyouts and across-the-board terminations. It’s disgusting to put workers at risk by looting. You do it by chipping away at their health benefits and eventually laying them off. There’s a right way and wrong way to do this.” At press time, critics recommended that protestors hold law enforcement accountable by simply purchasing the Minneapolis police department from taxpayers.

  6. observer 6
    29 May 2020 at 8:28 am

    A week ago Simon Bridges was still leader of the National party. Ah, the good old days.

    Remember when making a silly comment about hair dye was enough to get the eyes rolling? That now seems like a pearl of wisdom. Under his successor (assassin) the eyes have been spinning so fast they've fallen out of their sockets. The gaffe-meter is broken.

    His latest gem: "Most New Zealanders are unemployed, but they don't know it yet" (yesterday).

    Most.

    • Incognito 6.1
      29 May 2020 at 8:36 am

      Meh, he’s just projecting his own dire situation onto most New Zealanders. I feel a bout of solidarity with comrade Muller coming up.

  7. Robert Guyton 7
    29 May 2020 at 8:38 am

    Todd Muller mash-up/take-down.

    https://twitter.com/i/status/1265645303748628485

    • Incognito 7.1
      29 May 2020 at 8:45 am

      A week is a long time in politics. It can only get better from here onwards. But in all seriousness, the Opposition is in serious disarray, ERC has been disbanded, and the only flutter of an election contest is some predictable sparring between the PM and the Deputy PM.

      • bwaghorn 7.1.1
        29 May 2020 at 11:03 am

        Atleast Winston v Arden is a fair fight, Ardern v muller will be like watching Shane Cameron v Dave Tua again .

        • McFlock 7.1.1.1
          29 May 2020 at 2:55 pm

          Mike Tyson vs Stephen Hawking.

          • Incognito 7.1.1.1.1
            29 May 2020 at 10:45 pm

            They’d still offer Tyson $20 million for a round of shadow boxing.

            • Tricledrown 7.1.1.1.1.1
              14 June 2020 at 11:26 pm

              Boring Bill English did 3 rounds with a boxer for charity it showed him to be slow and out of touch like his political career.

        • Morrissey 7.1.1.2
          29 May 2020 at 3:15 pm

          Or Ryder v. Slater. (Muller, it hardly needs to be said, is the bloke in red.)

    • ianmac 7.2
      29 May 2020 at 9:44 am

      That 23% of Nat MPs having any business experience is telling, given their constant call that they are the party of Business. And I think Muller being in big business management is a far cry from owning and running a butcher or hairdresser or a service station.

    • Cinny 7.3
      29 May 2020 at 8:06 pm

      Much respect to the creator, that was epic yes

  8. newsense 8
    29 May 2020 at 8:54 am

    Labour bottling it again. Already sold out housing, beneficiaries, public transport and now fresh water standards. Next stop climate change…

    • Dennis Frank 8.1
      29 May 2020 at 9:18 am

      Now now, stop beating on poor Labour, they're only on 59%. Peaking, so the only way forward is down. Show a little compassion!

      And Marama says it's a win for the Greens, which means leftist solidarity hand-holding with Labour, right? https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/28-05-2020/te-mana-o-te-wai-whats-in-the-governments-new-freshwater-cleanup-package/

      "Prominent freshwater expert Dr Mike Joy said the advice from scientists and Kahui Wai Māori (the Māori Freshwater Forum) had “fallen on deaf ears.” “Instead, it appears the Minister for the Environment has caved into political and industry pressure to further delay implementing the long overdue instream nutrient limits.” He added that “the limits proposed by the specialist panels were key to achieving real change, and far from being extreme, would have simply brought New Zealand into line with the rest of the world”."

      Yeah, but he's an ecologist and there's never been a place for such people in the Labour universe. Can’t support the capitalist system by listening to eggheads.

      • Ad 8.1.1
        29 May 2020 at 10:19 am

        Read all the scientific reports the government released as part of the government policy.

        Has 100 times more weight.

        • weka 8.1.1.1
          29 May 2020 at 2:22 pm

          translation: we can't rely on science and best practice using the precautionary principle because too many politicians are beholden to the corporate industrial dairy lobby who are going to fob everyone off for as long as they can in order to keep strip mining NZ. Let's take a few decades to sort things out as the science can't tell us how to run extractive industries without damaging the environment.

          /spit

          Joy nailed it. If you're quitting smoking, there's little point in dropping from 3 packs a day to 2.5 packs if you have your lung health in mind.

          Yep, industrial farming is up there with the tobacco industry. Also, the climate deniers, who basically used the same tactics 'there's not enough science yet'.

          • Ad 8.1.1.1.1
            29 May 2020 at 5:08 pm

            All the other scientific and economic reports were published at the same time, in Scoop, if you dared to look. OR even read.

            And instead of spitting, have a look at the Greens praising the policy to the gills.

            None of them are climate deniers either. Not one.

            Go on though, keep emoting. You haven't mentioned the Nazis yet.

            • weka 8.1.1.1.1.1
              29 May 2020 at 6:44 pm

              Lol, but you did.

              If you think the policy is sound, then put it up against what Joy is saying.

              The Greens are saying it's way better than before, of course it is, National basically said for nine years go ahead and treat rivers like sewers.

              I trust the Greens and Sage in particular, and I assume that they've built in many useful things despite the limitations. But it's stupid to pretend that this is adequate and is not a trade off with the industrial farming economy. Are there going to be reductions in dairy farms? Conversions to regenag? I'm guessing not, that it's ambulance at the bottom of the cliff that people are still being allowed to push ecosystems off.

  9. Macro 9
    29 May 2020 at 9:15 am

    SAN FRANCISCO (The Borowitz Report)—

    Servers belonging to the social-media platform Twitter burst into flames on Thursday, after the company attempted to fact-check all of Donald Trump’s tweets.

    “We knew that fact-checking Trump’s tweets was going to put a strain on our system,” Jack Dorsey, the C.E.O. of Twitter, said. “We had no idea that it would result in columns of fire shooting forty feet into the air.”

    Reportedly, an explosion in the server fact-checking Trump’s tweets about Joe Scarborough ignited a blaze that quickly spread to a server furiously vetting his tweets about Barack Obama.

    Fire trucks rushed to Twitter headquarters to extinguish the inferno, which San Francisco officials called the largest fact-checking-related fire incident in the city’s history.

    While no one was injured in the conflagration, Dorsey quietly shelved plans to fact-check all of Donald Trump, Jr.,’s tweets.

    • dv 9.1
      29 May 2020 at 10:22 am

      Shame Trump didn't move so quickly (or at all) on the Virus problem.

      Now cases are ca 20k per day and 1000+ deaths per day

      With nearly 1,8m cases and over 103000 deaths

      BUT BUT allow checking on the lies he tells GEEZ, that is a really serious affront!!!

  10. ianmac 10
    29 May 2020 at 9:51 am

    This morning an NZR journalist reported for Goldsmith that he couldn't get up to date numbers on the correctness of the Grants given to businesses. He was told that audits were ongoing and quarterly reports would be issued. So far no charges had been laid.

    How is this important enough to lead the news? How can Goldsmith get such a non-story published?

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018748484

  11. Morrissey 11
    29 May 2020 at 10:16 am

    Cuomo? No, no, NO.

    His comedian brother at the 3:40 mark…

  12. Sacha 12
    29 May 2020 at 10:19 am

    Scientist Mike Joy in his own words about this government diluting water policy: https://theconversation.com/new-zealand-government-ignores-expert-advice-in-its-plan-to-improve-water-quality-in-rivers-and-lakes-139554

    The proposed nutrient limits were key to achieving real change, and far from being extreme, would have brought New Zealand into line with the rest of the world.

    For example, in China, the limit for nitrogen in rivers is 1 milligram per litre – the same limit as our technical advisory group recommended.

    In New Zealand, 85% of waterways in pasture catchments (which make up half of the country’s waterways, if measured by length) now exceed nitrate limit guidelines.

    Instead, Minister for the Environment David Parker decided to postpone this discussion by another year – meaning New Zealand will continue to lag other nations in having clear, enforceable nutrient limits.

    …

    The other main policy the expert panels pushed for was a cap on the use of nitrogen fertiliser. This was indeed part of the announcement, which is a positive and important step forward.

    But the cap is set at 190kg per hectare per year, which is too high. This is like telling someone they should reduce smoking from three to two and a half packets a day to be healthier.

    • Morrissey 12.1
      29 May 2020 at 11:05 am

      Jesse Mulligan said before he interviewed Mike Joy yesterday: "This is the first time I've had you on the programme for years."

      Why would that be? He has on a propagandist for the farming lobby nearly every week.

    • RedBaronCV 12.2
      29 May 2020 at 12:07 pm

      or kicking the can just past the election?

  13. Morrissey 13
    29 May 2020 at 10:46 am

    Sam Ackerman is due to shed some unwarranted tears this morning RNZ National, Friday 29 May 2020, 10:20 a.m.

    Right now, Lynn Freeman is interviewing Filipina filmmaker Ramona Diaz. One of the things she's talking about is the use of fake news and disinformation by the egregious President Rodrigo Duterte. Well worth a listen. https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon

    Unfortunately, at 11:30 Lynn will talk to sports reporter Sam Ackerman, who is apparently going to lament the loss of Radio Sport.

    W T F ??!!??!? The death of Radio Sport was long overdue. If ever there was a source of fake news and bigotry, it was that joke of a station, with its dismal line-up of "talents" such as Tony Veitch, Martin Devlin, and Murray Deaker.

    Tony Veitch…. https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2019/07/tony-veitch-newstalkzb-in-action-dec-28.html

    Here is Martin Devlin, beside himself after news of a British athlete being killed after being hit by a hammer-throw….

    DEVLIN: He got killed with a HAMMER! Oh GOD, just imagine the MESS! Ha ha ha ha ha!
    STEVEN HUNTER AKA "SHUNTER" (PRODUCER): Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
    DEVLIN: Ker-SQUISH!
    SHUNTER: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
    DEVLIN: Splat!" SHUNTER: Ha ha ha ha ha! DEVLIN: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/lest-we-forget-martin-devlin-jan-26-2011.html

    And, of course, Murray "Deaks" Deaker…
    CALLER PHIL: I want to talk about the All Black squad. Murray, I am very, very concerned. I think we will have a lack of intelligence, once the ball goes past Daniel Carter.
    DEAKER: [long, thoughtful pause] Conrad Smith?
    PHIL: Yes, but what if he’s injured, Murray?
    DEAKER: [long, thoughtful pause] I know what you’re getting at, Phil.
    PHIL: Yes, well, it needs to be said, Murray.
    DEAKER: [with utmost gravitas] A lot of people talk about this in private, but are not prepared to talk about it in public. But I don’t give a TOSS about that! The problem is that in this country we have a lot of boys that are EARLY MATURERS.
    PHIL: Yes, oh yes.
    DEAKER: These guys haven’t got the slender build of, say, a Dan Carter, or a Jeff Wilson, or an Andrew Mehrtens.
    PHIL: That’s right, Murray.
    DEAKER: So they’ve never had to jink, or sidestep, or run around any opponents. They are so HUGE that all they have ever had to do is barge past them. They’ve never had to THINK! Because they’re early maturers!
    PHIL: It’s a worry. Because these overseas teams, they’re THINKERS, Murray! They’re private school boys, and they’re thinkers.! The Australians, Murray, they’re just so EDUCATED! I remember once when the lowest-qualified player in the team was a chartered accountant, Murray!
    DEAKER: Yes, but we’ll not see the likes of Nick Farr-Jones, David Kirk, Sir John Graham and Sir Wilson Whineray again. They were very bright guys!
    PHIL: I’m so worried, Murray….

    https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-21032012/#comment-449711

    Ackerman is lamenting the loss of this garbage? In fact, the demise of Radio Sport is about as regrettable as the demise of Whaleoil Beef Hooked.

    • Chris T 13.1
      29 May 2020 at 11:04 am

      Why do I get the feeling you have a severe hatred of Radio Sport.

      Funny thing about radios, some people may not understand.

      You don't actually have to listen to them and you can switch channels.

    • Bearded Git 13.2
      29 May 2020 at 11:57 am

      But Morrissey, life is not worth living without cricket on the radio.

      • Morrissey 13.2.1
        29 May 2020 at 12:02 pm

        Fair comment, my bearded friend.

        Unfortunately, Radio Sport didn't stick to that core business. Instead, it turned over the airwaves to the likes of Deaker, Devlin, Veitch, Doug Golightly, and Willy Lose….

        https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/search?q=Willy+Lose

        • Bearded Git 13.2.1.1
          29 May 2020 at 12:22 pm

          Agreed…I never listened to them.

          • Morrissey 13.2.1.1.1
            29 May 2020 at 1:10 pm

            Neither did anyone else. That's why NZME did what it had wanted to do for years, and got rid of it.

      • lprent 13.2.2
        29 May 2020 at 6:38 pm

        …life is not worth living without cricket on the radio.

        Sounds like a protracted torture in brain activity deprivation. It' is as tedious as listening to the Trump alternately blustering and whining without the moments of inadvertent ironic humour.

        I gave up on sports when I stopped playing them. I can't quite understand people who waste time on listening to them or even attending sports grounds to watch them. Don't they have anything else to do?

        • Morrissey 13.2.2.1
          29 May 2020 at 7:55 pm

          Fair comment, Lynn. The problem with Radio Sport was that they had 18 hours to fill every day.* Even if they had been knowledgeable, eloquent, and witty broadcasters, that would have been an almost impossible task. They possessed, sadly, none of those qualities.

          * Midnight to dawn they paid for infinitely superior American sports talk radio.

        • roblogic 13.2.2.2
          29 May 2020 at 8:29 pm

          It's more about the community, if you're watching local sports. Otherwise, I find it hard to get excited about some weekly competition that drags on and on. World Cups and the Olympics are pretty cool tho

        • Bearded Git 13.2.2.3
          30 May 2020 at 11:10 am

          lprent….oh you are so wrong…..I remember listening to England v Pakistan on the BBC World Service while sleeping under the stars in Tibet in '82.

          (This was before Thatcher removed funding for Test Match Special on the World Service-unforgivable.)

  14. greywarshark 14
    29 May 2020 at 12:18 pm

    Second time – 3 hours apart – got a phony call with female USA accent from automated scam machine claiming that someone has been spending $1000 with Amazon on my credit card. Phoned the bank just to check out and they report a wave of it going on – FYI. Bank says if you follow their directions they give you two different buttons for choice and you will be directed to a person who will harvest your card number from you. Warmer job I imagine than fruit picking or cabbage cutting out in the fields.

    • dv 14.1
      29 May 2020 at 12:42 pm

      Yes we have had several calls. 3 yesterday, None today yet!!

      Hang up Don't respond.

      • Adrian 14.1.1
        29 May 2020 at 2:02 pm

        Try this " I'm so glad you called, can we talk about Jesus ? " Works every time, but mostly if I've had a bad day or even only a semi-terrific one I'll purge with a diatribe of the most offensive shit imaginable, its quite cathartic.

        Remember these arseholes know they are committing a crime.

        • dv 14.1.1.1
          29 May 2020 at 3:21 pm

          The calls are machine recorded.

          So not ta goer.

        • Cinny 14.1.1.2
          29 May 2020 at 8:18 pm

          Try this " I'm so glad you called, can we talk about Jesus ? "

          That's awesome, thanking you Adrian, I'm going to use that one day 🙂

    • mary_a 14.2
      29 May 2020 at 2:34 pm

      @ greywarshark (14) I was with a friend during the week when she received the same message, however this time the caller had an Indian accent. Fortunately, she was on to the fact it was a scam. Yep, the scammers are out there. Caution is needed.

  15. roblogic 15
    29 May 2020 at 12:38 pm

    Feel like reading TheStandard.org.nz with new fonts and wider layout? (client side only)

    Here's my custom CSS: 🤓 (work in progress)

    https://gist.githubusercontent.com/roblogic/09d2bb93a67483f05158ccda0ae3fe53/raw/

    It works with the Stylus browser extension.

  16. peterh 16
    29 May 2020 at 1:13 pm

    how to win all the votes you want ONE active case in NZ

      • Herodotus 16.1.1
        29 May 2020 at 2:49 pm

        It is, yet we are still at level 2, level 1 potentially 3 weeks away. It is easy (I grant you) to comment after the event.

        I hope our govt. acts promptly to accelerate our move down the alert levels.

        • Drowsy M. Kram 16.1.1.1
          29 May 2020 at 3:43 pm

          Allowing a home-grown scientific consensus to inform our Covid-19 response has safeguarded health – such a common sense approach, compared to the ‘balance‘ advocated by market forces. I’m enjoying retail shopping and restaurant dining now – what’s the rush?

        • McFlock 16.1.1.2
          29 May 2020 at 3:57 pm

          A period of two infection cycles between easing restrictions is prudent.

          We don't want to fuck it up at the end and have to redo two months of effort.

          • lprent 16.1.1.2.1
            29 May 2020 at 5:07 pm

            That is pretty much the basis you have to use for this particular bug. Even the 2 week infection limit looks like it may have been optimistic as there are now examples of people getting infected and not displaying any virus shedding until weeks afterwards – but it looks like it is doing the job – so not worth changing.

            I was just reading some wannabe guest post writer sending something in via email proclaiming the theory that covid-19 is just a hoax by the government. Feels like they cribbed it off some other site as clickbait (and that is what their reference site looks like as well). All assertions based on the idea that it is just influenza and that nothing the government did (like closing and controlling borders in this and previous outbreaks) made any difference.

            I was tempted to put it up just so I could eviscerate the ‘author’. The increased total death rate above normal in the US, Brazil, UK, and now Russia of this ‘influenza’ even with the social distancing there being the obvious club to beat the dipshit with. But since it was, like almost of 30 odd similar propositions I get daily, just an excuse to provide links to other sites – I restrained myself. Besides the dipshit clickbaiter would never actually come and argue their point.

            Reminds me, I need to write a explicit policy on asserting false facts in comments and providing links and/or not defending their usage. I don’t mind rapping people over the knuckles about it. But it is starting to get irksome. Plus the National party appears to be making using completely false facts their only strategy based on some of the social media I have seen.

            One from Pugh used pre-covid data from debt levels in Greece against projected post-covid-19 debt levels in NZ which was a pretty egregious bit of lying. I was thinking that a immediate 6 month ban unless they justified their usage to me in email was the appropriate site response – with all correspondence published.

          • Herodotus 16.1.1.2.2
            29 May 2020 at 5:18 pm

            I thought that a driver for the shutdown was to protect our health system from being overrun – Not to have 0 cases

            Level 2 – Reduce The disease is contained, but the risk of community transmission remains

            Level 1 – Prepare The disease is contained in New Zealand

            https://covid19.govt.nz/assets/resources/tables/COVID-19-alert-levels-summary.pdf

            • McFlock 16.1.1.2.2.1
              29 May 2020 at 5:32 pm

              Yeah it was initially, as per the plan designed around an influenza pandemic. But we get a new influenza strain each year, and apparently covid might be a bit more stable. Days after we went into L4 specialists started suggesting we might be able to eliminate it, rather than just slow it.

              There's been some kerfuffle about the semantics of "eliminate", but I guess it's generally the "plan A+" crowd that won, rather than the "plan B" dude lol

              • Herodotus …
                29 May 2020 at 5:45 pm

                I can accept that, yet that is not what is being conveyed and what was the aim/measure to achieve before we progress down. What will happen in the future when there are a few cases diagnosed ? Do we progress up the levels again for eradication to mirror what has been achieved this time ?

                • McFlock …
                  29 May 2020 at 5:56 pm

                  Depends on the scenario of "new cases".

                  For the foreseeable, we'll have border quarantine (and testing of improving sensitivity and timeliness). If a case shows up there, no worries it's doing its job. Although staff who contacted that person might be themselves quarantined.

                  If a case goes through quarantine then presents with covid a week later, we might see a national or regional alert escalation, or maybe a combination (e.g. the locality of know contacts goes to level 3/4, while the rest of the country goes back to level 2 to aid tracing if an unkown contact went out of town).

                  A random case popping up with no known travel association? That's when people will be probably looking at a nationwide L3/4 again, because it breaks the known behaviour of the disease.

                  But these are possible variations, not gospel. It's a judgement call at the time, based on many factors and inputs. But so far the govt's been pretty good at communicating what is happening, why, and what the risks are.

                  I'm not sure what you mean by "not what is being conveyed". The elimination goal has been pretty consistent for a couple of months now, which is actually pretty miraculous in this fast-changing situation.

                • Drowsy M. Kram …
                  29 May 2020 at 6:01 pm

                  Appreciate the wish for certainty now and in the future, but also understand the need to adjust responses and 'level details' as NZ gets on top of this pandemic threat, learning as we go.

                  Covid-19 is novel, with no proven treatment or vaccine (yet) – caution is (still) warranted, IMHO.

                  • lprent …
                    30 May 2020 at 2:18 am

                    Covid-19 is novel, with no proven treatment or vaccine (yet)..

                    Personally I remain unconvinced that they will get a vaccine within 5 years. And that is only because they were getting close to trialling SARS and MERS viruses using new approaches before this particular coronavirus popped up.

                    The more that is revealed about covid-19, the more unconvinced I get. A 32k base pair virus from inside bat colonies – and one that appears (in my view) to have had about a decade adapting to humans. It looks both endemic, unlikely to get a widespread herd immunity, and vaccines are unlikely to have a long term effect. I see this hanging around and if a vaccine is achieved, is going to require boosters every few years.

                    Specific antiviral treatments to prevent slipping into a critical state seem more likely in the medium term.

            • Andre 16.1.1.2.2.2
              29 May 2020 at 5:42 pm

              Which of the Level 2 restrictions do you consider an unreasonable restriction?

              About all I can see that's significantly different from Level 1 is limiting gatherings to 100 or less, ensuring physical distancing, and record-keeping of visitors.

              That doesn't seem onerous, particularly since we are still in a time period where undetected presymptomatic or asymptomatic community transmission could still be occurring. It seems to me to be very low pain to maintain Level 2 for a few weeks longer to minimise the risk of the massive pain of having to go back up the levels.

              • Herodotus …
                29 May 2020 at 5:50 pm

                I am fortunate and I gather from your comment that you to are also (I hope so), but ask that question to someone who has or is considering shutting down their business or has or could lose their job, and the consequence of that be it financial, health, relationship etc. The delay of progressing thru the stages by 1,2 or 3 weeks could make a difference to them.

                • Andre …
                  29 May 2020 at 6:03 pm

                  What kind of business might be at serious risk of having to close because of another few weeks of limiting gatherings to 100 people, some physical distancing, and maintaining visitor logs?

                  I would guess it's very very few. The massive lockdown we have already had will have already culled the marginal businesses, and another few weeks of level 2 won't affect the vast majority of businesses that were robust enough to survive until now. It will affect a few weeks of profitability for sure, so the owners have an incentive to make as much noise as they can, which is where I think the push to go to Level 1 is coming from.

                  A few more weeks of Level 2 certainly won't change the outlook for the business sectors that have been wholesale obliterated such as tourism.

                  • Herodotus …
                    29 May 2020 at 6:57 pm

                    With no community sport until June 22nd there is 2-3 weeks where cafes, bakeries, mobile coffee etc miss out on that trade.( + the feel good factor of life returning to some resemblance to normal) Some of these businesses are next to parks that when there is no action there is no foot traffic that is 2/7 of their trade. Restaurants, pubs etc that to comply with distancing have limited what their business can cater for. Professional sports events that have eliminated crowds those industries that support these events. Whist these may not be large compared to already announced closures, tell that to those affected.

                    • Andre …
                      29 May 2020 at 7:20 pm

                      I would suggest to those affected that they ponder the consequences of having to go back into a Level 3 or 4 lockdown.

                      And that they also ponder that the team that made the decisions that appear to have us on track for a return to domestic normality much faster than our peer nations are the same team that see our best course is to maintain Level 2 for a few weeks longer. Their record of success so far is awfully hard to argue with.

                • Koff …
                  29 May 2020 at 6:23 pm

                  NZ at level 2 is now less restrictive than Queensland which has similar (almost) zero new case rates and very few active cases. Queensland, like WA, NT, SA and Tas are keeping their borders closed to Vic and NSW where there is (admittedly low) community transmission. NZ is probably one of the very few advanced economies with such opportunites. Count your lucky stars you live where you live.

                • RedBaronCV …
                  29 May 2020 at 6:55 pm

                  Well around my hood it's starting to look pretty normal apart from the distancing, the hand sanitiser and the signing in. I've also stuck my head into a number of the small local businesses that I would really hate to loose – $50 note in hand to donate if needed- to check that they are okay and found that they were fine with lots of work and any worries had vanished.

                  I still have more to check though. Stuff did take the donation but happy with that.

                  • woodart …
                    29 May 2020 at 7:47 pm

                    same here redbaron. in my small town and the neigbouring two I was in yesterday, shops were busy and car parks hard to find. the only closed shop in my local town is a pizza shop that closed three weeks prior to lockdown.

        • patricia 16.1.1.3
          29 May 2020 at 10:35 pm

          Look up South Korea's second wave 54 cases overnight, and Australia has some community transmission. Safe rather than sorry. June 8 is not long now.

  17. Macro 17
    29 May 2020 at 1:46 pm

    Great collaboration between NZ Defence Forces and US Defense Forces.

    https://youtu.be/zUuOnl4f0rE

    • adam 17.1
      29 May 2020 at 2:50 pm

      Ahhh Jingoism

    • Morrissey 17.2
      29 May 2020 at 3:21 pm

      If only they kept it to musical items, it would be wonderful.

      Television footage of street demonstrations following the Qu’ran burnings by U.S. troops. Major General Gawn has an answer ready: “There are a hundred thousand American troops in Afghanistan. There will always be a few bad apples.” Gen. John R. Allen tries to muster up every bit of gravitas he can as he assures the U.S. television audience that those responsible for the Qu’ran burnings “will be tracked down.”

      https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/10/review-of-he-toki-huna-new-zealand-in.html

      • greywarshark 17.2.1
        29 May 2020 at 5:39 pm

        If only they kept it to musical items, it would be wonderful.

        +100

        And also carried that approach forward to their police forces in USA to ours in NZ and Australia too. So sad to hear about this latest USA police outrage. Chris Trotter eviscerates it:

        https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2020/05/29/poisonous-legacy-why-george-floyd-could-be-choked-while-the-whole-world-watched/
        I think Morrissey has covered this also further down.

        • Morrissey 17.2.1.1
          29 May 2020 at 5:51 pm

          Chris Trotter? It will be interesting to see what he says if those cops are acquitted. I wonder if his views have evolved since the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013…

          NOELLE McCARTHY: Now you have something about this Florida verdict, and Juror B-37?

          …A long, rambling discussion ensues, with most of the participants clearly disgusted with the verdict. But not everyone….

          CHRIS TROTTER: [very slowly, mustering all the pomp and gravitas he can] I think all this talk about the jury is most unfortunate. You have, even in this case I think, to trust the jury. In any trial, there are always items of evidence that we do not know about, even in this case I think.

          ….[Long, extremely uncomfortable pause]….

          NOELLE McCARTHY: [doggedly positive] One thing the whole world is talking about, Zoe Ferguson, is the royal birth!

          https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2018/01/chris-trotter-reckons-zimmerman-jury.html

    • Ad 17.3
      29 May 2020 at 5:05 pm

      Beautiful work both teams ka pai e kia ora.

    • patricia 17.4
      29 May 2020 at 10:40 pm

      Thanks Macro Good one.smiley

  19. Siobhan 19
    29 May 2020 at 2:33 pm

    "Covid 19 coronavirus: $60 million funding boost for New Zealand's libraries"

    "This is targeted funding over two years to keep librarians in jobs and upskill them to provide extra assistance to jobseekers and to people wanting to improve their reading and digital literacy skills."

    ..so, Librarians as unskilled Jobseeker assistants with no official title and code of conduct, has now just become the new normal.

    Pity those poor deluded souls that visit libraries to, you know, borrow books….between the strict limit on titles held in each library, the aesthetic of half empty shelves (a policy in some library's..'safer' and more 'tidy looking' apparently)..and now the full and open morphing of libraries into Social Welfare offices the self fulfilling prophesy of 'no one reads books anymore' is well on its way.

    I do believe that yesterday morning RNZ reported that people without computers could still access doctors on line via the libraries. Seriously.

    If the powers that be wish to move the world on line..job seeking and Doctors visits and Education.. then they need to come up with specialised computer hubs, with specialised staff..computer lounges in winz for starters. Though I guess that would only work if winz offices could become 'customer friendly'.

    • In Vino 19.1
      29 May 2020 at 7:33 pm

      Libraries have become a place where the poor may have cheap access to a computer for a while… Is there any other place?

      I agree with you in that I want libraries to remain as they were, with this as a temporary addition, not see the destruction of the traditional library, which becomes just a Social Welfare Office.

    • Sacha 19.2
      29 May 2020 at 7:50 pm

      They always dress up things like this as being about 'jobs'.

      Libraries are community knowledge hubs already, not just places with books. I'd trust a librarian to help people more than a winz staffer.

    • Craig H 19.3
      29 May 2020 at 9:46 pm

      Not great but it recognises the value of libraries and librarians and also the impact on rates which might otherwise lead to library funding cuts.

  21. Fireblade 21
    29 May 2020 at 7:44 pm

    "This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible."

    https://www.twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266231100780744704

  23. Ximenes 23
    29 May 2020 at 9:29 pm

    So Louisa Wall has exited out of Manurewa. One hopes she will get a suitably high position on List. Politics sometimes is a hard place

    • Ad 23.1
      29 May 2020 at 10:34 pm

      With a local majority of over 8,000, why it was was necessary for the apparent alternative Ian Dunwoodie to white ant her out of town is completely beyond civil reason. Hell, ask around town – she's a lot easier to work with than Carmel Sepuloni.

  24. Cinny 24
    29 May 2020 at 11:17 pm

    What the actual fork… the CNN team were just arrested while they were reporting on the riots..wow!

    https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1266315061221613569

  25. Ximenes 25
    30 May 2020 at 2:53 pm

    Not sure its Ian that is going to get the seat there is someone else

    [Fixed typo in user handle]

  26. Eco Maori 26
    30 May 2020 at 6:28 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    The art plagiarism hiding behind A court??????.

    People who stuff there recycling bins with rubbish are so short sighted wake up.

    Ka kite Ano

  27. Eco Maori 27
    30 May 2020 at 6:55 pm

    Kia Ora

    Te Ao Maori News

    Its good to see Maori coming out with online resources to support tangata mental health.

    Ka kite Ano.

  29. Eco Maori 29
    31 May 2020 at 6:29 pm

    Kia Ora Newshub.

    Opening Travel to the Pacific Islands is logical.

    That's good to see People supporting Aotearoa business.

    Ka kite Ano

  30. Eco Maori 30
    31 May 2020 at 6:51 pm

    Kia Ora

    Te Ao Maori News.

    Planting a billion trees is awesome I hope all our Waterways edges are planted with trees to help keep them clean.

    Find Your Fish helping Rangatahi find a great future is a good idea Kia Kaha.
    Ka pai Te reo Maori in Te whare

    Ka kite Ano.

  31. Eco Maori 31
    1 June 2020 at 6:55 pm

    Kia Ora

    Te Ao Maori News.

    Yes it does exist here in Aotearoa.

    Its good to see Tangata whenua O Aotearoa receiving houners the list looks to deserve there houners from what I have seen go down in the last few months.

    Ka kite Ano.

  32. Eco Maori 32
    1 June 2020 at 7:21 pm

    The kawaii run is awesome at Te motu Te Kawaii run is awesome at Te Waiapu to it great to see a ruhui at Te Motu.

    Ka kite Ano

  33. Eco Maori 33
    2 June 2020 at 8:46 am

    Kia Ora

    The Am Show.

    With that data on whare heat it good that the government has $50.00 a week winter heating payment for the tangata that need it the most..

    In winter and we still have warm weather like this That's global warming.

    Plant based plastic bottles is good news especially when it breaks down fast in the environment.

    Ka kite Ano

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/?p=77196
    The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, May 7
    TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    7 days ago

  • HM Prison Aotearoa.
    A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago

  • Get Your Webworm Merch!
    Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    7 days ago

  • Top OECD economist puts Willis between a rock and a hard place
    The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry
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