Open Mike 29/11/2018

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, November 29th, 2018 - 132 comments
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132 comments on “Open Mike 29/11/2018 ”

  1. Ed 1

    Stuff doing some good work on Climate Change at the moment.
    The lead story on their online news is ‘Climate change 101: The most important things to understand about this urgent problem.’
    I salute them.

    Here is an excerpt.

    “New Zealand is in the top 10 countries per head of population for emissions, Renwick says. We rank similar to the US and Australia and ahead of China.
    …cows – especially dairy cows – produce a lot of both methane and nitrous oxide. They do this by burping out methane and peeing out nitrogen, a tiny proportion of which emits nitrous oxide.
    There are also a lot more of them than before. Between 1995 and 2015 dairy cattle increased from 3.84 million to 6.49m.
    In 2015 there were 1,254,000 dairy cattle in Canterbury alone, a staggering rise of 490 per cent from the number in 1994.”

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/108928681/climate-change-101-the-most-important-things-to-understand-about-this-urgent-problem

    • Jim 1.1

      I always thought it wrong to measure per head of population.
      A per hectare basis would be more fair.
      After all we are emitting more for the benefit of others, especially dairy exports.

      • gsays 1.1.1

        Who are the real beneficiaries Jim?

        I would suggest it is the shareholders of the companies, in Fonterras case, the farmers.

        • SaveNZ 1.1.1.1

          How Fonterra are structured now does not necessarily mean the farmers get all the money, Fonterra makes.. they might get a low payout and the money is siphoned off for 8 million in CEO fees plus millions thrown away in bad overseas deals..

  2. Ed 2

    There is only one story that should be in the news at the moment.

    “World must triple efforts or face catastrophic climate change, says UN.

    Only 57 countries, representing 60% of global greenhouse gas emissions, are on track to cause their emissions to peak before 2030. If emissions are allowed to rise beyond that, the IPCC has said countries are likely to breach the 1.5C limit, which will trigger sea-level rises, droughts, floods and other extreme weather events.”

    We need to go on a war footing.
    We have 12 years.
    System Change.
    Not climate change.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/27/world-triple-efforts-climate-change-un-global-warming

    • Ed 2.1

      The media is our enemy not our friend.
      With catastrophic climate change imminent, the New Zealand Herald decides Shaun Johnson leaving the Warriors is a more pressing issue.
      The Herald .
      Owned by billionaires.
      Edited by puppets.
      Read by ostriches.

      • solkta 2.1.1

        The media is our enemy not our friend.

        You just said above that Stuff is “doing some good work on Climate Change at the moment”.

      • solkta 2.1.2

        HERALD SAYS: Countries vowed to cut carbon emissions. They aren’t even close to their goals

        https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12167515

        The Herald ran this article from the Washington Post at 9.54am yesterday.

        I hate the Herald too Ed but you really should have a look at it before starting your daily propaganda.

        • Ed 2.1.2.1

          The Herald has a few good journalists and opinion writer.
          I linked to Rachel Stewart yesterday.
          It editorial line is from the dinosaur age.

          • solkta 2.1.2.1.1

            You have been slagging them off for 24 hours yet you didn’t even look. The article is not written by anyone local and so would have been just an editorial decision to run.

            You wonder why myself and others run you down, well, situations like this. How about apologising to the Herald for getting it so wrong this time? How about admitting you were wrong? Go on, try it.

    • solkta 2.2

      There is only one story that should be in the news at the moment.

      Now how ridiculous would that be?

      • Ed 2.2.1

        I see a pattern.
        If I post anything, you slag it off.
        It would be nice if your contributions were a bit more positive and actually discussed the articles mentioned. Or you could post on a topic you are passionate about.

        • mauī 2.2.1.1

          It is possible solkta is a member of the elite Ed. Better to… scroll past.

          • Ed 2.2.1.1.1

            Yes I shall scroll past.

          • solkta 2.2.1.1.2

            That’s all we ever get from the two of you. When challenged on the crap you write you just label the person “part of the elite” or a “neoliberal”. That is really insulting to those of us who do real things in the real world.

            • greywarshark 2.2.1.1.2.1

              solkta
              How about you bring matters to the blog instead of your criticisms about other commenters dominating. Let’s have some useful matter from you and providing balance. Ed is reducing his comments that are mere statements and putting more info in. You should do so too.

              • solkta

                Ed is not putting more info in. He didn’t even look to check if the Herald had run an article. I don’t see that i should not criticise this because i haven’t brought an issue.

            • DJ Ward 2.2.1.1.2.2

              I picked up a 2 week contract today to help a company that was slagged off by someone yesterday. A project I have helped with a few times over the last year. The end result is having identified a manufacturer of an inificeint product, that an upgrade is developed with newer technology. The result is a product that does the same thing for the customer with that companies share at about 1,000,000 in use products. Each product will use about 100W less energy 24 hours 180 to 365 days a year. Gain is about 650 kWh per product or 650 GWh of electricity use each year. Manufacturing cost is essentially the same, therefore environmental cost of manufacturing is very similar.
              I have got a few ‘what are you doing about it comments’. LOL.

              I also don’t see the MSM being anti Climate Change. I don’t see endless Climate Change articles but probably not enough to satisfy some as Ed points out with his comment.

            • JanM 2.2.1.1.2.3

              And what would you define as ” real things in the real world”, solkta?

      • Ed 2.2.2

        All other stories are superseded if we don’t tackle climate change.

      • Tuppence Shrewsbury 2.2.3

        That is what the news would look like if Ed got his way.

        Scary stuff

  3. Nick 3

    Thanks for the links Ed.

  4. Dennis Frank 4

    Toby Manhire yesterday: “The Green Party has added its voice to a growing call for a change in the law that denies people in prison the chance to vote, using parliamentary question time to urge Justice Minister Andrew Little to revisit an issue he has described as “not a priority”. The party’s move follows a landmark decision in the Supreme Court earlier this month and the launch of a campaign today by JustSpeak.”

    “People incarcerated in New Zealand have been denied the right to vote since 2010, when parliament passed a member’s bill put forward by Paul Quinn of the National Party.” Golriz Ghahraman pointed out that the law is inconsistent with rehabilitation.
    https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/28-11-2018/green-party-calls-on-government-to-urgently-repeal-prisoner-voting-ban/

    “In a ruling earlier this month, the Supreme Court upheld a decision by the High Court that denying prisoners the right to vote is inconsistent with the Bill of Rights. Justice Minister Andrew Little, who is leading a wide-ranging rethink of criminal justice in New Zealand, said at the time that while he personally opposed the ban on prisoner voting, the government had yet to determine its policy on the issue, adding: “It’s not that much of a priority.””

    Understandable that depriving people of human rights is no big deal to a leftist politician, but he need not be so traditional. He could acknowledge the validity of the rationale that the Greens and Supreme Court are advocating. You’d think, as Justice Minister, he’d see the need for that. He could be proactive, and tell the media he will try to slot it in sometime soon. Fair to say he’s got Pike River & other higher priorities currently, but if he’s overloaded with work the PM ought to share it around a little better, eh?

    • solkta 4.1

      The bigger issue here is our silly constitutional arrangement by which the government is not legally required to obey the law. We can all take crown entities such as local school boards to court for a judicial review to force them to change their rules yet the gummint can just say “meh”.

      The Government is looking at changes that would force Parliament to reconsider changes if the Courts ruled legislation inconstant with the BoRA which is a start.

      https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/351308/bill-of-rights-courts-now-allowed-to-declare-inconsistencies

      Your article links to an earlier article where Little says that he personally disagrees with the law but that the government hadn’t discussed it. Having been burnt before he needs to be very careful to have Winston on side. This is likely to be unpopular with a lot of NZF voters so don’t hold your breath.

      • Dennis Frank 4.1.1

        Yes, good points. Winston’s a lawyer, and a conservative one. I’d expect him to be part of the solution, since the rule of law has been a key tenet of the conservative belief system for centuries. I hope whoever jiggles the coalition’s legislative agenda priorities is on the ball with this situation.

        • solkta 4.1.1.1

          Winston has a law degree but he has never been a lawyer. What he is is a populist politician.

          • Dennis Frank 4.1.1.1.1

            “In 1973, Peters graduated with a BA and LLB. He married his partner Louise, and later worked as a lawyer at Russell McVeagh between 1974 and 1978.” [Wikipedia]

  5. Incognito 5

    I am Groot and today is Groundhog Day (again).

  6. WeTheBleeple 6

    Question: Would the NZH report nonsense concerning marijuana starting years before the referendum?

    Bigger question: How much money does NZH ownership have in pharmacology and alcohol?

    NZH “Now marijuana-related traffic fatalities are up by 151 per cent”

    It takes only a minute to find the truth: (The report also found that drunken driving deaths had increased again. Twenty-six percent of those killed in crashes, or 171 people, had blood alcohol content of 0.08 percent or greater, Colorado’s drunken driving limit, compared to 161 in 2016 and 151 in 2015.

    Meanwhile, traffic deaths generally continued to increase on state roads, going from 546 in 2015 to 608 in 2016 and spiking to 648 last year.

    CDOT spokesman Sam Cole said the department considers the number of deaths in which the driver was marijuana-impaired under state law to be the most reliable indicator of its impact on the highways.

    By that measure, marijuana-related deaths are clearly down.)

    What else have they to say? “Now Colorado has issued over 40 little-publicised recalls of retail marijuana laced with pesticides and mould.”

    Quality control is good. If we had the same quality control on food the produce section at the supermarket would be empty.

    Any other nonsense statements disguised as facts? “Other disturbing trends include the yearly rate of marijuana-related hospitalisations in Colorado increasing 148 per cent” This is true. When you make a thing legal people actually use the proper avenues to seek help. In the past most pot related problems would be dealt with in a quiet room, or with a sedative, or simply food and calm music…

    Is there more? “toxicology reports show the percentage of adolescent suicide victims testing positive for marijuana has increased” According to the group ‘parents opposed to pot’ this is true. But first, let’s keep in mind cannabinoids stay in the body for months. Suicide rates are indeed climbing in Colorado, just like they are everywhere else in the Western World, but… weed aint legalised across the world. Could it be a shitty world run by evil sociopaths is all a bit much, or is it evil weed?

    In January 2014 legal pot arrived in Colorado. In June 2018 Colorado Health Institute released information on long term suicide trends in Colorado, which have not significantly increased compared to the trend, they have merely followed a trend established since pre-pot Colorado. Our youths are increasingly fed up. Pot or no pot.

    Colorado is the state with the 9th highest suicide rate. The leader, Montana, only has medical marijuana. # 2, Alaska, it is legal. # 3, Wyoming, it is illegal. There is no clear trend here. The ‘facts’ in the article are hyped up bullshit. The suicide rate in Colorado just stabilised actually, but 1 year is not good data…

    https://www.coloradohealthinstitute.org/research/suicides-colorado-reach-all-time-high

    And just to prove the author is an old-school hyperbole styled preacher “We now know the ultimate goal: legalisation of recreational dope. And, if we listen to drug advocates internationally, they will want legalisation of not just this drug but all drugs — cocaine, heroin, P.”

    That’s right. It’s all an evil plot. The Author Bob McCoskrie is the Director of ‘Family First New Zealand’ an organisation so awesome the website is now crashed trying to deal with NZH readers also asking this morning ‘who TF are these people’.

    They’re conservative christians. You know, those people who preach from a book with over 2000 contradictions. Well, the lies don’t stop with the guidebook, and the Herald has no place in real journalism publishing such shit.

    Here it is, in all its pathetic glory:

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12167590

    • DJ Ward 6.1

      Great comment. Bob McCoskrie certainly has some crackpot views of many topics.

      We have to deal with the bullshit beliefs from that way of thinking in the coming referendum. Hopefully I can help as I have some interesting points of view that are not discussed relating to our endo canabaloid system, and evolution of our genetics. Cannabis and humans having a level of symbiotic genetic relationship. Hence our cannabis receptors.

    • greywarshark 6.2

      WtB
      You make me tired. All this reason and logic and critical thinking is hard to take.
      Now jumping up and down in shock and fury and knee-jerk reactions is how i get my exercise. I am going to end up really fat and slobby if I follow your lead. Have a thought for the unintended consequences will you.

  7. esoteric pineapples 7

    For anyone who wants to know how the NSA tracks all your electronic communications and knows where you are when you make them

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYg_0Imrnr4&feature=share

  8. Chris T 9

    Galloway on Hosking this morning

    To say ILG didn’t exactly cover himself in credibility is a bit of an understatement

    Starts about 7.10am

    7.00 am – 7.15am – http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/ZB/auckland/2018.11.29-07.00.00-D.mp3

    7.15am – 7.30am – http://120.138.20.16/WeekOnDemand/ZB/auckland/2018.11.29-07.15.00-D.mp3

    Give it up Iain, or at least admit you cocked up, rather than tacitly blaming everyone else

    • Jimmy 9.1

      ILG…..you are the weakest link…..goodbye

      • bwaghorn 9.1.1

        He should just use bridges line and tell hoskings we’ve all moved on .

      • Naki man 9.1.2

        “ILG…..you are the weakest link…..goodbye”

        This is a good read from a veteran immigration lawyer, it shows the arrogance and ineptitude of IL Gullable

        “Marcus Beveridge, who runs Queen City Law, told The AM Show on Thursday Mr Lees-Galloway has to go.”

        “A veteran immigration lawyer says Iain Lees-Galloway’s handling of the Karel Sroubek case makes New Zealand look like a “banana republic” and a “bunch of plonkers”.

        “The report was comprehensive. He just stuffed up. He should have said, ‘Look, I’m sorry,’ and then most decent Kiwis would have said, ‘Okay, we’ll give you another crack.’ Instead he’s come out with this sort of arrogant position, looking like Moses reading a tablet, it’s scripted and it’s all spin. It’s sort of House of Cards stuff.”

        https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/11/iain-lees-galloway-makes-new-zealand-look-like-banana-republic-lawyer.html

        • OnceWasTim 9.1.2.1

          “Veteran Immigration Lawyer”?
          You mean a guy that thinks Mr Thiel is “exceptional” and that giving citizenship to him given the circumstances (like giving $1m to ChCH and making a whole lot of promises we’re yet to see the benefits of) is OK?

          Maaaaaaaaate! You an Mr Beveridge should probably get a room. The only reason he does Immigration is because your mates industrialised it and Moik realised there was a big earn in it.

          By the way, I notice your mates have gone all quiet over the Sroubek affair.
          Is that because Mike Heron QC has been appointed to look into processes? You know, the same Mike Heron your mate Soimon called upon to look into travel expense leakages?

    • ianmac 9.2

      Last night I watched the urgent debate on the decision. Iain gave his side of the story and it was quite credible to me.
      https://www.parliament.nz/en/watch-parliament/ondemand?itemId=204109

      “The review would look at a representative sample of case files decided by the Immigration Minister and designated decision-makers between November 2016 and November 2018.” (Newsroom.)
      According to Winston After a fiery exchange with Madam Speaker, he said National Immigration Ministers avoided making any decisions but left it to officials so a Review could be interesting.
      (The worst speech was from the empty headed Paula Bennet.)

      And it was said that every Ministerial discretionary decision has run the same pattern as used by Iain. So change the process?

      • Cinny 9.2.1

        Yes that debate put things into context big time.

        A better place to get two sides of the story than the media’s selective soundbites.

      • Chris T 9.2.2

        It may well run in the same pattern, but the process is not the decision.

        The process doesn’t excuse Galloway making such a stupid, incompetent decision, given the evidence he had.

        His whole defence of his decision appears to be danger if he went back home.

        This is an utter red herring

        The bloke has an EU passport. He doesn’t have to go back home. He can go to any EU country he wanted to

        • ianmac 9.2.2.1

          Get a job with that Aussie Immigration Minister Chris. You fit the bill.

          • Chris T 9.2.2.1.1

            Good point

            The Aussie immigration person wouldn’t have been stupid enough to keep this bloke.

            • ianmac 9.2.2.1.1.1

              But anyone who makes any error regardless will be swept out. This means you Chris.Black and White. No Grey in your World view?

              • Chris T

                No

                I’d prefer he bit the bullet but could live with just losing his portfolio.

                This thing ain’t over.

                The bloke will be stuck here for years in appeal courts

        • J 9.2.2.2

          ‘His whole defence of his decision appears to be danger if he went back home’
          After reading this quote from ChrisT, I could believe he is threatening Lees-Galloway. Well, are you, ChrisT? It sure sounds like it! Should I ring the police?

          Words matter, numpty.
          Officials’ advice matters numpty. They failed Lees-Galloway. The words to change Lees-Galloway’s mind on deportation were not evident then, numpty.
          No amount of misinformation on behalf of your nat mates will ever change that fact.

          Not once in all the searches of media, blogs, even Radio New Zealand ‘National’ have I seen a complete picture of Karel Sroubek, the previous and current life of Karel Sroubek and a story about his ex-wife and the influence on her by the new man and his right wing affilliations.

          Len Brown’s case showed us all how low greed will grovel in order to weaken good government and allow those scum to sell off/give away what’s left of our New Zealander-owned assets and our good name.

          In both cases, a woman is being exploited. Not to mention (but I will) the women in national that were supposedly targeted by JLR and used to get him out of parliament.

          Len Brown, the ex of Karel Sroubek, who completely changed her story from wishing Sroubek well to suddenly seeking a restraint order – words matter numpty. This is a sting and you know it.

      • ankerawshark 9.2.3

        Ianmac @ 9.2 I watched Ian LG in his press conference and thought he was extremely skilled in how he handled it.

        I want Ministers not who never make a mistake, because that is not possible. It absolutely isn’t. I want Minister who apologize, take responsibility and say what they will do differently and don’t blame others………………….

        We got that from Ian LG.

        BTW the poor Immigration guy looked completely freaked out at the press conference. I know he probably gets paid a lot of dosh, but clearly felt a lot of pressure. Galloway certainly didn’t throw him under the bus.

        • ianmac 9.2.3.1

          Totally agree ankerawshark. Well said.

        • Jimmy 9.2.3.2

          ILG didnt wasn’t very credible when Hoskings interviewed him….he was lucky it wasnt Larry Williams could have been worse.

        • Dennis Frank 9.2.3.3

          I’m still finding the whole thing very opaque. My intuition tells me he’s competent, but I’m open to the critical view. I just don’t see any valid basis for a critique of his performance having yet emerged.

          Did the public servants involved screw up? If so, how would we know? What precisely, went wrong in how they processed his case? I’m allergic to politicians colluding with public servants to fudge responsibility. I wonder if that’s what is keeping the situation opaque…

          • Puckish Rogue 9.2.3.3.1

            So what we really need is the PM to explain to the people of NZ what exactly she meant by “reading between the lines”

            • Dennis Frank 9.2.3.3.1.1

              It would indeed be helpful for her to clarify things further. Did the inquiry enlighten us at all? Not that I’m aware of. Was it designed just as an in-house thing – not to inform the public? Excuse my ignorance, haven’t been following the saga as closely as some others have…

              • Puckish Rogue

                Thats ok we’re, mostly, ignorant here 🙂

                The way I see it ILG messed up really badly but he could have made this issue go away rather quickly by saying something along the lines of “I apologize, I messed up and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again”

                Instead we got “read between the lines”, “processes need to be looked at”, various commentators on here have tried to insinuate that National are to blame, theres been suggestions that maybe not all the information was presented to the minister (blaming the workers)

                I just wonder how much more will come out and how much longer the PM can allow this to go on, I mean I know she doesn’t want to sack another minister (sorry wait for a resignation) but the longer it goes on the worse it looks

      • Jimmy 9.2.4

        If you think that’s credible then I have a bridge I can sell you.

    • ianmac 9.3

      Hoskings sees everything in black and white and no grey. Glad he is not a decision maker. Hoskings is like that Aussie Immigration guy who deported NZ born people for often very minor crimes and regardless of family needs.
      And Iain did well against a barrage from a National disciple.

      • ankerawshark 9.3.1

        Hoskings is doing the job he is paid to do. Its a rather easy job, because it doesn’t require any research or hard decisions or too much brain power. From the point of view of the job Hoskings is required to do, he does well.

      • Fireblade 9.3.2

        Hosking isn’t a journalist or a reporter. He’s a talk-back radio host and an opinion piece writter. He is a self confessed right winger, he is biased.

        In an interview with North & South in 1990, Hosking described himself as “a money person, I’m a capitalist. I’m to the right of Roger Douglas.”

        In 2012, Hosking was revealed to have received $48,000 in payments and perks from SkyCity Auckland Casino for doing regular work for them, while still working as presenter for TVNZ. During controversy over proposed taxpayer subsidies for Sky City building a national convention centre, Hosking wrote in defence of the subsidy, describing the convention centre as an “aspirational investment”.

        In 2013, he was the master of ceremonies at Prime Minister John Key’s state of the nation speech, which he also endorsed.

        Hosking is a climate change skeptic, stating on Seven Sharp that he doesn’t believe in the IPCC report.

        https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hosking

    • Jimmy 9.4

      Even Barry Soper who always supports the left has turned on ILG saying he should actually take responsibility and resign

      • In Vino 9.4.1

        Yes, yet another Rightie (Soper is about as Left as Mussolini) trying ever so hard to make a mighty mountain out of a tiny molehill. Sorry, Naki man, PR, Jimmy etc. It simply isn’t going to wash. You are trying to beat up a storm in the dregs of a teacup. There are just no serious consequences…

    • Gabby 9.5

      However, it’s worthwhile leaving him in place just so Woodlouse the daredevil Worm Wrangler doesn’t get his way.

  9. Observer Tokoroa 10

    Hi Ed

    Keep on expressing your views. Even though this Standard blog is saturated with weird and wonderful Trolls. They are denialists – low IQs – flat earth believers, very stupid little people.

    When they knock on my door I offer them a lolly. Because I feel sort of sorry for them. Virtually, the entire bunch of followers of Simon Bridges Party has very low IQ. Which is why they get big donations from the China Communist Party. The Communists tell them what to do.

    As for The Herald, it is useful for Birth, Deaths, and Rugby. Nobody, ever reads any of its other junk.

    • ankerawshark 10.1

      Yes please Ed, do continue to provide the useful links you do and express your views.

      I am not referring to anyone in particular, but can commenters please stop attacking others. By all means say you don’t agree with the view OR provide alternative evidence, but it is not nice to read some of the comments attackers commenters and I am sure it is worse to receive them………………………………………..I would really like it if people could do this please.

      • greywarshark 10.1.1

        It’s a tough world ankerawshark. It is good if NZ s can actually think and speak up now and not be too PC as we have been known to be a bit soft and reticent. Personally I am trying to be assertive. They say that is the way to be, where you speak firmly when needed, without becoming aggressive. And can apologise on occasion.

  10. greywarshark 11

    From the ‘quote’ book – I Can See Where You are Going Wrong.

    What the healthy person does in their weekend. No church, no appreciation of nature, reading or getting informed!:

    ‘Ran 48 miles yesterday, off road and with some brutal hills, an absolutely perfect Sunday! Gentle bike ride and swim today (yoga is off due to public holiday).’

  11. halfcrown 12

    Answer to Chris T @9

    Agree with that “Give it up Ian” I think he should resign his immigration portfolio.
    It doesn’t matter what went on before with the National party etc though they are not squeaky clean over this but as Truman said “The buck stops here”
    Now the likes of Hoskins and Garner have done that to death I am looking forward to a similar in-depth deep and meaningful debate on the Chinese Communist Members who have bribed the National party or any other party with ‘donations’ to get on the party list. and have been awarded a Queen’s honour in doing it, and how Theil was given a NZ citizenship after 12 days WITHOUT being in the country.
    Looking forward to Hoskins Garner and that other odious Cheshire cat grinning pea brained prat Richardson giving their opinions on this but I am not holding my breath.

    • ianmac 12.1

      “Give it up.” No. For the duration Stroubek is in jail to 2022 anyway. So he hoped to have a chance to stay but now he doesn’t. Apart for the cost of endless rounds of political posturing, the position doesn’t change. An appeal will happen regardless of whether Iain declared stay or go.
      So please stay Iain and please don’t condemn all future decisions to be negative just to avoid the Opposition over-reach.

      • greywarshark 12.1.1

        No ILG shouldn’t resign not at all. We can’t let our pollies get picked off by the awful Gnashionals, after their self-satisfying terms in government. Perhaps he could have done something different, but we want somebody who wants to do something good for us. We don’t shoot our racehorses after a fall!

        I don’t want to have the Opposition merely trying to trip up our government. They can see so clearly now, now that they’re away from power, all the things they should have been doing. But you can’t make mistakes if you don’t do anything and now Labour are in and acting, the Gnats are in pig’s heaven.

        A change that can happen for these internationals, once they have been convicted and spent some time in prison, the rest of the sentence should become held over, and they should be deported back where they came from. Why should we spend time and money looking after them. Prison is basically a waste of time anyway. The people who should be in because they are repeat baddies, should stay there for life, and the others have to do some educational thing that adds some new ingredient to their life. Just doing a driving course and analysing how to prevent oneself from driving badly and drinking badly would be a real breakthrough and better than years locked up and losing your mind.

        Did anyone hear the great Kim Workman who has been trying to bring both santify and kindness and useful advances to prisoners for decades.
        https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018673187/kim-workman-journey-towards-justice

        Kim Workman: Journey Towards Justice
        Dr Kim Workman looks back on his life: from his early career in the police, to becoming a prison manager, and finally to a passionate advocate for radical justice reform.
        His memoir is called Journey Towards Justice.

  12. Observer Tokoroa 13

    HalfCrown – brilliant

    Hoskins, Espiner, Garner, the Prat and Paula – all want to knife a Labour Minister and lay it at Simons Sacred Feet.

    NZ has only one Joke – our Media. Small minded mob

    • Gabby 13.1

      Sniggering Guyno tried to slip ‘wanted for murder’ into Srouby’s rap sheet. Nice Try Guyno.

      • DJ Ward 13.1.1

        Interesting as those on the right think he’s a crazy lefty, you think he’s a right leaning sniggerer, I think he lost his man card. So about right for a Journo then.

      • Observer Tokoroa 13.1.2

        Guyon has absolutely no responsibilities whatever- apart from tweeting little bird calls every now and then.

        Yet that does not stop him allegedy accusing the Mr Scrouby of being wanted for murder in Prague- without offering evidence.

        New Zealand has only one Joke. It’s our Media.

  13. Morrissey 15

    D.P. Farrar hits a new low

    https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2018/11/why_does_anti-semitic_hate_speech_get_a_free_pass.html#comments

    Question No. 10: Who are the main enemies of Israel?
    GIDEON LEVY: Those who support the occupation, who keep it strong, and who pay for it. Of course I’m talking about the United States here. The U.S. could stop this masquerade in a matter of months. The U.S. routinely condemns the illegal settlements and scolds Israel, but it does nothing. The European Union: nothing but lip service. India, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E.—they all buy Israeli weapons.

    Question No. 13: What about the “Christian Zionists”?
    GIDEON LEVY: In terms of brainwashing and ignorance they are even worse. They turn very easily into anti-Semites. Right now they support Israel blindly and automatically; they are the biggest enemies of Israel.

    https://morrisseybreen.blogspot.com/2017/12/soon-even-notion-that-israel-is.html

  14. Morrissey 16

    Dreadful but not surprising news from Mississippi

    Things haven’t improved much since 1965 in that benighted land of hate.

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/28/cindy-hyde-smith-mississippi-win-republican-voters-trump

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJ25-U3jNWM

  15. greywarshark 17

    Tax cows individually. More cows more tax.

    https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/country/377021/nz-s-dairy-cow-population-on-the-rise
    A report from industry group Dairy NZ shows the country’s national milking herd stood at 4.99 million in the 2017-18 season, up 2.7 percent on the season prior.

    This, however, is not the highest number ever recorded. Back in the 2014-15 season there were about 26,000 more dairy cows being milked, which pushed the national milking herd over five million.

    The report shows the average dairy herd size for the season just ended was at 431 – that’s 17 cows more than 2016-17.

    It found expansion of the dairy herd in the South Island contributed to that lift.

    Meanwhile milk production per cow decreased by 3.4 percent to an average of 368 kilograms of milk solids, with the decline being put down to the difficult spring experienced in 2017.

    “South Island farms have, on average, higher herd production than herds in the North Island, with North Canterbury recording the highest average herd production at 331 kilograms of milk solids,” the report said.

    • DJ Ward 17.2

      Yes it was a difficult spring in 2017. This years looking good. It rained yesterday and I was thinking 1mm of rain $1000, another 1mm, another $1,000 in income so we can support all the towny bitching and moaning with taxes. Morrisey then said bludgers. I blame the rain.
      With the payout dropping Robertson may have to say no to some handouts.

      • Morrissey 17.2.1

        They’re ruining our environment. Three dairy farms use half of Hawkes Bay’s fresh water supply. Three dairy farms.

        Dairy farmers learned what people think of them when they staged a ridiculous protest march in Wellington in 1985 to complain about the removal of some of their subsidies. Far from being supportive, people yelled: “Go back to the farm, you bludgers!”

        • DJ Ward 17.2.1.1

          Ther is no subsidies today. Landowners once had serfs. Are you going to hold a farmer today responsible for a class based slave culture. How far back in the past do you wish to look for your argument. Farmers today understand how those subsidies were wrong. Conversely if they did have subsidies the push for intensification may not have happened like it has. It was 33 years ago.

          How are they bludging today? Yes they have some pollution issues. But I suggest you reduce your CO2 output from breathing, water you drink, almond sap for your Latte, and methane coming out your speaking hole. If you take the patch of your eye you might notice humans overpopulation is harming our planet. Let’s ban humans by banning farming. You might find it will be quite effective as a policy.

          What has those 3 farms got to do with the farm I’m on. Most of the water we use is for the cows to drink. Do you want the cows to die of thirst. 99 plus % of the not used by plants, water exits the farm we are on in aquifers and streams. We do not irrigate.
          You are cherry picking when you tar everybody with that 3 out of over 10,000 example.

  16. Morrissey 18

    The Grauniad has been a disgrace for many years. It employs some of the nastiest people on the planet; unfortunately for the Grauniad, they’re also some of the stupidest. Possibly the dumbest of the lot was something called Emma Brockes….

    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/nov/17/pressandpublishing.corrections

    https://www.counterpunch.org/2005/11/05/storm-over-brockes-fakery/

    [The Guardian is somewhat lamentable on a number of fronts. But this post isn’t about “having a go” at The Guardian] – B

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

    • Morrissey 18.1

      You’re not “having a go at the Grauniad”?!!???!??? Here are just three quotes from your article:

      But the Guardian’s Environment Editor is engaging in some seriously dangerous “glossing over” of reality.

      ……

      My point is that if we are going to be serious about global warming then we can’t swan around spouting the type of bullshit the Guardian’s Environment Editor is spouting.

      ……

      Promoting “consumer choice” as a solution to AGW is an excuse for systemic inaction. Don’t buy it.

      As you pointed out, the Grauniad glosses over reality and spouts bullshit regularly. My post amplified your point.

  17. greywarshark 20

    Scoop-de-doop NZ news served up for and by NZs.
    https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/5837-scoop-3-0-crowdsale-and-crowdfunding-campaign

    NZ$28,306 pledged 81% of target – options to take for keeping them flourishing –
    Rutherford – We haven’t much money so we have to think!!

  18. greywarshark 22

    https://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/2018673374/the-mystery-of-the-terracotta-warriors

    These terracotta figures are amazing and have been buried so long – a real treasure from the ground.

    I doubt that the Chinese government is selling them overseas as ornaments for the lounge room. Whereas we have amazing buried kauri that a claw-fingered National politician and her cohorts have been selling off as bits of stuff that someone might like for their unique value.

  19. joe90 23

    The Cool Kid Philosopher.

    ben shapiro literally said "if climate change happens, and all the low-lying areas around the coast are underwater, don't you think those people would just sell their house and move?" how can you *actually* be this stupid?who's going to buy those underwater houses benny? hmm?— host: lexi (@cyberwitchlexi) November 27, 2018

    y'all think i'm fucking kidding? pic.twitter.com/OHx6RL9d5v— host: lexi (@cyberwitchlexi) November 27, 2018

  20. Cinny 24

    MP’s expenses have been released.

    Jacinda spent $82,000 less $11,206 which she paid back = $71,704

    Leader of the opposition simon bridges spent $72,000

    So the simon spent more than Jacinda, yet the headline in the Herald reads…

    “Simon Bridges slashes spending, latest MPs’ expense figures show”

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/108954709/simon-bridges-spends-72k-on-travel–a-lot-less-than-the-previous-period

  21. DJ Ward 25

    What’s the difference between a nerd and a dumb person?

    The nerd will learn something and realise they don’t know anything.
    A dumb person will learn something and think they know everything.

  22. SaveNZ 26

    Good news from Greens, + other government parties

    “We just passed the COOL(est) law. Our Country of Origin Labelling Bill passed it’s final reading in Parliament last night with support from nearly all political parties.

    This new law allows all of us to know where our food comes from.

    The Green Party have campaigned for this law change for 15 years, with Green MP Sue Kedlgey first proposing the change back in 2003. Green MP Steffan Browning picked up Sue’s work and today I’m delighted to have guided it into law.

    The change means that vegetables, frozen fruit, seafood, and meat will be labelled with the country they come from. It also allows the Minister for Consumer Affairs to extend country of origin labels to more types of food.

    It gives people what we need to make informed choices of what we buy and more power to support ethical producers and avoid GE, pesticides, and food made with poor working conditions.”

    https://www.facebook.com/nzgreenparty/videos/199848067559846/

  23. The Chairman 27

    Last year Labour announced an $8 cap on GP visits for Community Services cardholders – $10 lower than National’s doctors’ cap.
    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/election/2017/08/labour-announces-8-gp-visits-for-community-cardholders.html

    When are they going to deliver on this?

    Was at the Doctors the other day and heard fees were dropping to around $18 next month and not $8 as Labour stated.

  24. McFlock 28

    And in the “one law for us, another for them” files, a NZ lawyer charged his clients false fees for almost two years and the Law Society really cracked down on him: a $500 fine and he has to give a lower rate to the clients he overcharged.

    I thought falsifying a document to make money was outright fraud, but not if you’re a lawyer. 240 invoices at $100 a pop, he stole $24,000 from his clients.

    • SaveNZ 28.1

      Shocking, McFlock. If they keep letting those in power get away with fraud with just a slap on the wrist or even less, then we are going to turn into a horrible, mean country.

  25. eco maori 29

    Kia ora The Am Show the America’s Cup will be a great event .
    Duncan you can not see the positive thing with the planting a billion trees and money going to the regions creating jobs for the regions that have high maori population’s
    No judy Kim Dot Com case was a big stuff up by shonky no celebrating this Chrismas judy we understand.
    seenothing explain the huge profit’s the fuel companys are sucking out of Aotearoa.
    Waiheke Island becoming a electric car only paradise is a great Idea YEA.
    Farm ownership secession is a subject we should be talking more about why well we don’t want huge multi country company’s buying up all the farms in stealth and turning our farms into huge mono culture farming that is bad for the people low wages bad for the environment as the huge mono culture farming is bad for bees and all other native wild life with all the farmers retiring in the next 20 years this could become reality .
    The real life Iron man Richard Browning new jet suit is showing how fast Technology is advancing .
    Chris the billion tree program its a lot better than shonky have you traveled through the central north island there use to be miles of trees all cut down early .
    Ka kite ano P.S no comment on the sandflys you already know my opinion

  26. eco maori 30

    Māori are among the most vulnerable to climate changeThe poor are definitely going to suffer the most from climate change and most maori are poor now. I back Smith words that we all need to make sacrifices to our way of living to combat climate change . But using over seas data to compare our way of farming is not the way to the truth on our farms we need KIWI research into how our farming affects climate change not research on industrial farms over seas. We do need to change our way of farming yes and work with Papatuanuku IE Organic farming and farming produce that’s suited to the local environment .
    Its awesome that IWIs are working on plans to mitigate climate change and using a philosophy of all cultures working together to plan and combat climate change.
    I hope my Iwis are planning to combat climate change
    Smith uses another ‘h’ word – “hurt”.
    “It doesn’t matter which way you spin the dice on this, whatever’s being done is going to hurt. People who are looking for a painless way of mitigating climate change I don’t think there is one.”
    He believes radical new thinking is required.
    How do we collectively as New Zealanders address this problem? We’re going to have to hold hands across the country to sort this thing out. Ka kite ano links below

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/climate-news/108755375/mori-are-among-the-most-vulnerable-to-climate-change

    https://millionmetres.org.nz/open-project/seventh-generation

  27. eco maori 31

    Eco Maori can see the big picture and I call on China to save Papatuankus biodiversity from the greed power hungry barons who will ruin OUR Earth just to hold on to power.
    China urged to lead way in efforts to save life on Earth Delegates at UN biodiversity conference turn to Beijing to avoid point of no return
    China must play a leading role if the world is to draw up a new and more effective strategy to halt the collapse of life on Earth, according to senior delegates at the close of this week’s UN biodiversity conference.

    With the US absent, Europe distracted and Brazil tilting away from global cooperation, the onus has shifted towards Beijing, the diplomats said after two weeks of slow-moving talks on how to maintain the natural infrastructure on which humanity depends.
    Habitat loss threatens all our futures, world leaders warned
    Read more

    China will host the next high-level negotiations, in 2020, which will be the most important in more than 10 years. This is the deadline for nations to agree on fresh global targets for the protection and management of forests, rivers, oceans, pollinators and other wildlife.

    Conservationists hope this “new deal for nature and people” becomes as much of a priority as the Paris climate accord and helps to reverse the current wave of extinction, which is at the highest rate the world has seen since the age of the dinosaurs. Ka kite ano links below

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/29/china-urged-lead-way-efforts-save-life-on-earth-un

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RC3Hsk90t8

  28. eco maori 32

    The governments don’t get it . Its about saving the whenua and the creatures and the environment from the carbon barons veils of lies and money so the can keep stuffing up the environment that man is only caretakers of for the grandchildren not MONEY.
    It is not about money’: Australia’s largest native title settlement challenged again
    Smith said less than 5% of the Noongar population had voted in the authorisation process and those who had were not properly informed of the risks of signing the deal. The process also did not allow for people who were in custody to vote.
    It is not about money, it is about the land, and saving our land from mining,” Smith said. “If this deal goes through, the south-west will not be worth living in. Ka kite ano
    Links below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/30/it-is-not-about-money-australias-largest-native-title-settlement-challenged-again
    P.S I totally agree the whenua / land OWN’S us native cultures have heaps
    in-common.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0sWIVR1hXw

  29. eco maori 33

    Some Eco Maori Music for the minute.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKopy74weus

  30. eco maori 34

    Eco Maori Ka pai to all the Australian school students for striking and protesting the inaction the Australian governments have done on mitigating climate change Kia kaha
    May all the children of the world tell there parents and goverments that the mess they are making is going to stuff up there future .
    Climate change strike: thousands of school students join national protest
    ‘Strike 4 Climate Action’ brings thousands of students together in capital cities and 20 regional centres such as Ballarat and Newcastle
    Lucy, 11, who is the school captain of her school, said she had been let down by politicians.

    “My name is Lucy and I wish I didn’t have to be here today,” she said. “I’m the school captain at my primary school. We’ve been taught what is means to be a leader. You have to think about other people.

    “When kids make a mess, adults tell us to clean it up and that’s fair. But when our leaders make a mess, they’re leaving it to us to clean up. Ka kite ano.link below.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/30/climate-change-strike-thousands-of-students-to-join-national-protest

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWiFwIiFLL0

  31. eco maori 35

    Kia ora Newshub There you go with the 21st century communication device now days even the ultra wealthy cannot hide there lies.
    Oramaru why do they have water problems.
    I say the teachers should get there students to protest about climate change inaction by the biggest climate change deniers in the world. Like they are in Australia .
    We should educate more about a healthy diet like they do in France you are what you eat.
    I hope there is no loss of life in the Queensland fire .
    Yes I have posted Eco Maori Tau toko of the Australian students strike for the climate.
    Bob Marley was a Prophet and his songs messages still ring the bell of truth and reality now decades after his parsing.
    When I was young we would listen to his music all the time up the Coast but I never listened to the messages till just a couple of years ago Its show me he got the big picture Eco & Bob have other thing’s in common .
    Lidia drink driving is a very serious crime especially the innocent losses of life .
    I seen that story that’s just a promo for the damage someone’s husband has done to there BRAND.
    Shane hana koko ka pai for the 1 billion tree planting goal farmers could go back to using bracken hedges to devide there paddocks as well.
    Ka kite ano

  32. eco maori 36

    Kia ora The Crowd Goes Wild Storm & Mulls
    Dubai 7s is looking Ka pai
    Good on the Black sticks it looks like a wai hockey game.
    Its good to see the Papatuanuku taking a great interest in the New Zealand hosted Americas Cup & supporting New Zealand Hosting the great event.
    AFL Australian foot ball rules I did not know that we had teams for the game I watch it its alright to.
    I get the Drake thing Mulls.
    Every time I have seen a foul shot in boxing the fouler has won all the best E hoa .
    Ka kite ano P.S Thats the way guys we mite start exporting some Ausse rules players to ka pai Drones are the future Storm good luck with the training

  33. eco maori 37

    Eco Maori can sense the sandflys in Rotorua are getting desperate.
    Desperate enough to set me up in some retail outlet of false charges of theft or assault
    get me in there cells and beat the stuff out of me and drug me up and have a false confession I can smell it. Muppets Ana To kai pokokohua’s Ka kite ano

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrY9eHkXTa4

  34. eco maori 38

    Cambridge Analytica’s ‘cyber warfare using Fashion .
    I got it quite quickly that humans can be hacked to buy/vote/believe in what ever origination has access to YOUR private DATA . I say its a tool that’s has to much influence on most people this is what the neo lying liberals capitalist are using to hack elections and worse still using algorithms to distort people reality into believing
    that the biggest threat to the WORLD climate changes is a hokes that 99.9 % of OUR scientist are lying
    Fashion’s role in Cambridge Analytica’s ‘cyber warfare,’ according to Christopher Wylie
    “Fashion data was used to build AI models to help Steve Bannon build his insurgency and build the alt-right,” he told the conference. “We used weaponized algorithms. We used weaponized cultural narratives to undermine people and undermine the perception of reality. And fashion played a big part in that.
    He would certainly know. As research director at Cambridge Analytica, Wylie used data harvested from 87 million Facebook users to produce algorithms that he says influenced the 2016 US presidential election. And having previously worked toward a PhD in fashion trend forecasting, he knew that someone’s choice of clothing is one of the best ways to unpick their identity.
    On stage, Wylie explained how people’s preferences for fashion brands on social media were used to target specific groups with right-wing political messages. Although he has previously divulged how people’s online activity was used to predict political leanings, it was the first time that he publicly detailed fashion’s role — and importance — in Cambridge Analytica’s models.
    Adut Akech: The South Sudanese refugee making fashion history
    During his presentation, Wylie showed various charts and graphics demonstrating how the now-defunct firm mapped clothing brands against personality traits.
    OUR DATA NEEDS TO BE protected
    Ka kite ano links below.

    https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/christopher-wylie-fashion-cambridge-analytica/index.html

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE5ZvAj5tVI#action=share

  35. eco maori 39

    My view on the reality of fossilized carbon v methane is this do we need F carbon to sustain our own life No we will not perish if we drop F carbon do we have alternatives yes electricity , Cow farts methane is part of our food production do we need food to sustain our lives yes with out food we die do we have alternatives yes vegetables but I have seen cases were vegetables only diets cause great harm to a baby not enough protein cause problem for growing human baby’s our brains demanded a lot of energy . I say we need some meat in our diets with the predictions on population growth and food demand out stripping supply If we slow our food production’s to much people around the World are going to suffer and die of starvation and we know its the common poor people who will suffer that’s a fact.
    Here is another way to look at this carbon v methane farmers all over the world are investing money to mitigate there climate warming gases . Are the carbon baron’s investing heavily into finding solutions to there climate warming gases some but in reality I say NO because what they are spending in climate change mitigation research is a very small % compared to what they are spending on DENYING human caused climate change. That is reality The nitrogenous gases can be lowered dramatically by farming Organically working with mother nature /no need to burn carbon to make nitrogen no need for nitrogen

    How eliminating sheep burps and cow pee could slow global warming
    A respiratory chamber, designed for scientists to measure cow burps.

    Drones, pee-detecting machines, burp chambers and secret code words.

    New Zealand’s fight to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from farming is a hi-tech battle, being fought in labs around the country. And it’s costing about $12 million a year.

    The mission began 15 years ago when the agriculture sector and the government formed a partnership: the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium (PGGRC).

    Ka kite ano link below P.S I see the state is trying to steal my thunder but those in the know know who’s thunder is causing the effect.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/108863199/how-eliminating-sheep-burps-and-cow-pee-could-slow-global-warming

  36. eco maori 40

    Kia ora Newshub Nation Emma & Simon I remember last years Chrissy Nation show .
    I say the New Coalition government has delivered for all the people Happy New year to all the leftys .
    8 & 9 is a good score out of 10 That was a funny impersonation of Jacinda 9 years sounds good to Eco Maori by then our carbon reduction’s policy’s will be set in stone.
    Happy New year to the opposition.
    I give Phil A 9 out of 10 score plenty of climate mitigation action ka pai.
    Yes Megan when we are free of F carbon our environment and economy will be much more stable .
    Happy New year to Emma Simon & Newshub Nation Crew
    Good to see a lot of brown faces in Parliament Nanaia & Willy ka pai Ka kite ano

  37. eco maori 41

    Some Eco Maori Music for the minute
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv584jRwh0s

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    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 day ago
  • The Kaka’s diary for the week to March 25 and beyond
    TL;DR: The key events to watch in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the week to March 18 include:China’s Foreign Minister visiting Wellington today;A post-cabinet news conference this afternoon; the resumption of Parliament on Tuesday for two weeks before Easter;retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson gives his valedictory speech in Parliament; ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    1 day ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • AT Need To Lift Their Game
    Normally when we talk about accessing public transport it’s about improving how easy it is to get to, such as how easy is it to cross roads in a station/stop’s walking catchment, is it possible to cycle to safely, do bus connections work, or even if are there new routes/connections ...
    6 days ago
  • Christopher's Whopper.
    Politicians are not renowned for telling the truth. Some tell us things that are verifiably not true. They offer statements that omit critical pieces of information. Gloss over risks, preferring to offer the best case scenario.Some not truths are quite small, others amusing in their transparency. There are those repeated ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
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