Open Mike 29/07/2017

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, July 29th, 2017 - 67 comments
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67 comments on “Open Mike 29/07/2017 ”

  1. BM 1

    After reading this it’s not hard to come to the conclusion that the MOU is dead and the Greens are now charting their own course.

    https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2017/07/29/escape-velocity-the-greens-rocket-out-of-labours-gravity/

    • Ed 1.1

      Agreed.

      • BM 1.1.1

        Do you believe that the current path the Greens have taken has party wide consensus or do you think it’s what Trotter said that it’s being lead by the ex -Alliance wing within the party.

        • Ed 1.1.1.1

          I do not know.
          I am aware, however, that Metiria’s actions have fired up many of many friends to vote for the Greens.

        • Robert Guyton 1.1.1.2

          BM is showing an intense in the Green Party right now; potential supporter?
          It might take another courageous action by The Green Party; Metiria in particular seems to have captured BM’s imagination (and perhaps, heart) to bring him across and I feel confident there’s more to come from them and certainly, I sense BM’s stirring. He’ll be welcomed with open arms.

          • BM 1.1.1.2.1

            Lol, yeah that’s the one.

            I just have a sneaking suspicion we’re about to see the Greens split in two,
            Turei on one side and Shaw on the other.

            Quite a high chance you might see the Shaw led faction integrating with Gareth Morgans Top party and becoming the new face of the greens movement while the Turei faction reverts back into the Alliance party.

            • Robert Guyton 1.1.1.2.1.1

              “I just have a sneaking suspicion…”
              Lol, yeah that’s the one.

              • weka

                Lolz, Crosby Textor scraping the bottom of the barrel when that’s all they’ve got.

                Gollum calling Sam a sneak comes to mind.

            • lprent 1.1.1.2.1.2

              I think that the likelihood of that happening is up there with Don Brash becoming the leader of the National Party again.

              On facebook someone pointed out that Don Brash appeared to be agreeing with NZ First and some of its more covertly racist supporters (which like the spinoff author, I have never seen when reporting on their conferences). My only thought about that had the words “kiss of death” in it.

              My thoughts on your idea of a green split has the phrases “wishful thinking” and “politically naive” in it.

            • Psycho Milt 1.1.1.2.1.3

              I just have a sneaking suspicion we’re about to see the Greens split in two,
              Turei on one side and Shaw on the other.

              It’s important to distinguish between “sneaking suspicion” and “wildly implausible wishful thinking” when you’re commenting – helps avoid looking silly.

            • SpaceMonkey 1.1.1.2.1.4

              Dream on BM

    • weka 1.2

      “After reading this it’s not hard to come to the conclusion that the MOU is dead and the Greens are now charting their own course.”

      Only if you don’t understand what the MoU is, or what MMP is. Or you believe that the GP will get enough votes on their own to govern.

      Or you’re a right wing wind up merchant invested in undermining the left by spreading bullshit wherever you can.

      • marty mars 1.2.1

        Umm I pick the last one. Man this lad shows his ignorance about politics and the greens every time he comments.

      • “…it’s not hard to come to the conclusion…”
        This is a truism from BM; he finds it’s very, very easy to come to conclusions, based on fluff that collects in his head, the thinnest of ideas that everyone else would struggle to entertain. “James is Metiria’s love child!”, BM concludes, having seen the two of them wearing matching Green Party rosettes!. The Green Party and Greenpeace are the same person: an inescapable conclusion reached by BM after noticing a similarity in their titles, though he was unable to pin down exactly what it is they have in common; the twin-“e’s”? The big “G”? Despite the struggle, BM still had no trouble coming to the conclusion.

      • greywarshark 1.2.3

        That’s a description to frame.
        …you’re a right wing wind up merchant invested in undermining the left by spreading bullshit wherever you can.>/i>

    • Sacha 1.3

      Gee, wonder what Colonel Trotter makes of Willie Jackson making up an unsanctioned policy on the telly for Greens to give up Maori electorate seats to Labour?: http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2017/07/interview-willie-jackson.html

  2. “Ignited by the fiery exhaust of the Green’s policy rocket”

    Go Greens, you incendiary things!

    • OncewasTim 2.1

      As opposed to dowsed by the watery farts of National policy

    • greywarshark 2.2

      Flaming hell, what next!

      • The decrypter 2.2.1

        Who knows?-what does dowsed mean?

        • Psych nurse 2.2.1.1

          It means to find water usually with the aid of a forked stick.

          • The decrypter 2.2.1.1.1

            Crikey, it gets worse. Robert you could please tell me where james fits into all this,=-if he does at all.

          • Robert Guyton 2.2.1.1.2

            Which immediately brings to mind the question:
            “Did you hear about the constipated mathematician?
            Worked it out with a pencil.”

          • greywarshark 2.2.1.1.3

            Cripes if National are working on this skill it will be something really useful in a few years as our normal water course dry up through irrigation up the river, or are drawn off to be bottled and sent off to wealthier or other
            luckier countries which can access our pure water while we are left with the rest. So National and their dowsing will be a leading professional group.

        • OncewasTim 2.2.1.2

          Dowsed? Doused?
          It was such a base working class comment anyway dontcha know.
          Plus we all know Gnats don’t fart anyway

  3. Morrissey 3

    And sadly, instead of countering this madness, much of the Democratic Party’s “leadership” spends its time chasing the chimera of Russian “meddling”.

    [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.]

    • lprent 3.1

      It is pretty irrelevent for the democrats (and for the post that you dropped it into as a diversion) – yes.

      But you are completely deluded if you think that it didn’t happen, and more importantly that it won’t happen again.

      Now I am sure that you don’t want to hear this, but you’ll note that congress has in the last few days in a rare bit of bipartisanship gone and extended the sanctions against Russia for this and Russia’s invasion of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine using proxy forces. While they we at it, they also made it harder for Trump to use any executive powers to reduce them. That is a pretty clear signal about who and what the senators and congress members think went on.

      From what I understand, all western nations (including here) and those on Russian borders are gearing themselves up to deal with similar attacks and political interference in the future. It was bad enough when the CIA was doing this kind of juvenile crap back in the 1950s and 60s and getting to deal with those fuckwits then. But the Russians lack even the CIA level of finesse. Much like you do.

      I think that the sanctions need to be increased and deepened until Russia decides that doing this plausible deniability crap is counter productive regardless how well it plays out for their internal audience and gullible fools elsewhere.

      • Poission 3.1.1

        Do you think congress will apply sanctions on Russia by banning Russian exports of weapons grade uranium to the US? or prohibiting the import of Russian heavy lift rockets which are required to lift us military satellites into orbit?

        The effects of sanctions by the us congress do not effect us companies they effect European countries and they are not happy ie

        On Wednesday, German Foreign Ministry warned that Berlin “could not accept” the US using sanctions against Russia as a tool of industrial policy.

        http://www.dw.com/en/new-us-russia-sanctions-bill-risks-eu-anger/a-39867060

      • Morrissey 3.1.2

        There is no evidence that Russia had any influence on the election debacle of 2016.
        If you choose to accept the assurances of the likes of liars like James Clapper and his colleagues, well good on you. You’re in the distinguished company of such intellectual luminaries and moral exemplars as John McCain and Boris Johnson.

        I agree with you that Russia’s actions in the Ukraine are reprehensible and criminal, but if there are to be sanctions against Russia, then what measures do you think should be taken against the United States, Britain and France for what they have done and are continuing to do in Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Libya, and Syria?

        • lprent 3.1.2.1

          So? I don’t need any particular evidence to form an opinion. I only need the words of Putin who has as good as admitted the attacks on Crimea, eastern Ukraine, several cyber attacks in the baltic countries and the “private citizens” who attacked the US election.

          You forgot several other overt power plays by China in the South China Sea and a quite a few other plays. But the point about the US, China, Britian, France, and just about everyone else apart from the Pakistani and Israeli intelligence is that they tend to do their shit in public where it can bee seen and discussed. The US was probably involved with the Israelis in targeting the Stux worm into Iran

          Russia is the only significiant power that still does much of its shit work covertly..

          Quite simply you’d have to be a moron or a completely gullible fool to not look back over the history of Russian interactions over the last decade with upfront denials, and subsequent admission of maybe being involved to not see the pattern of their behaviour.

          That is why they need more sanctions because the fuckwits seem to need to keep the costs of trying fuck around covertly pointed out to them. Like my handling of trolls, I’d have exactly the same view for any other idiot nations or politicians who aren’t up front about what they are doing.

          • Bill 3.1.2.1.1

            The pattern of their behaviour or the pattern of ‘western’ accusations? Which of the two has more connection to reality?

            You know I’m of of those supposedly “gullible fools” you adore…or maybe I’m one of those deeply cynical bastards.

            Anyway. The sooner the USA bans beds that don’t come all the way down to the floor, the better 😉

          • tc 3.1.2.1.2

            Yup the cyber security experts all seem to agree its Russian funded attacks on ukraines govt departments and its power grid. They’re determined to weaken the Ukraine by all measures possible.

            It’s suggested this is putins way of saying to the US ‘look what we can do’ as they’ve been effectively proving out their malware and techniques for power network disruption which has the US rightly nervous. Because that same malware has already been found in US power grids.

      • Xanthe 3.1.3

        Here is a rather more informed view of the “russian hack”
        https://consortiumnews.com/2017/07/24/intel-vets-challenge-russia-hack-evidence/

        Frankly i am surprised at your naievity on this matter,

        • locus 3.1.3.1

          Xanthe… that was such a dismissive and arrogant comment I thought I’d go and read the source by the “independent forensic investigator.” It says that the file transfer was around 23 MB/s and “unlikely to have been downloaded over the internet” https://theforensicator.wordpress.com/guccifer-2-ngp-van-metadata-analysis/

          This does not mean that Russian computer experts weren’t involved in the theft of the DNC data. It just suggests that the files may have been downloaded directly off the LAN so the theft may have been via access to the LAN.

          Notwithstanding that, LTE is now pervasive across each of the four major carrier networks in the USA. Best ‘average’ download speeds are around 22 MB/s.

          I wonder what lprent’s view is on this?

      • So, you’d be happy for sanctions to be placed upon the US and other members of the Five-Eyes because of their meddling in a sovereign nations democracy?

        The espionage order for “Non Ruling Political Parties and Candidates Strategic Election Plans” which targeted Francois Holland, Marine Le Pen and other opposition figures requires obtaining opposition parties’ strategies for the election; information on internal party dynamics and rising leaders; efforts to influence and implement political decisions; support from local government officials, government elites or business elites; views of the United States; efforts to reach out to other countries, including Germany, U.K., Libya, Israel, Palestine, Syria & Cote d’Ivoire; as well as information about party and candidate funding.

        Or is it only the Russian’s meddling that should get such sanctions because they lack even the CIA level of finesse?

      • Marcus Morris 3.1.5

        I am not sure I would call Noam Chomsky a gullible fool – his is a very interesting take on the situation and deserves some attention. He believes that entente with Russia is the one good thing that Trump has achieved.

        • Morrissey 3.1.5.1

          Sadly, Marcus, there is an element on this normally excellent blog which is prone to accepting anything it is told by those in “authority”. Terms like “gullible fool” are routinely used to write off the likes of Noam Chomsky, Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, Jeremy Scahill, Robert Fisk, John Pilger and anyone else who dares to contradict the (evidence-free) assertions of the CIA and the GCHQ and their host of loyal media megaphones.

          Vide….

          So? I don’t need any particular evidence to form an opinion.

          https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-29072017/#comment-1359085

  4. JanM 4

    Watching Lisa Owen’s interview with Willie Jackson this morning was an exercise in self control (as in not turning off the tellie and run screaming from the room). Determined and aggressive questioning may have a point when someone’s trying to hide something, but what did she think she was up to this time? He was perfectly willing to answer her in full – and the fact that she didn’t let him complete a whole sentence rather demonstrated that she was more interested in kicking up a storm than in acquiring knowledge.
    Yuck – she was like an old crow, pecking and pointing and the more open and reasonable he got the worse she got! It was just an exercise in point scoring. That’s not journalism

    • OncewasTim 4.1

      Just like last week. I’m afraid Lisa Owen has succumbed to Lisa Owen.
      After all, we’re all more interested in Lisa Owen and how clever she thinks she is than we are in the person being interviewed.
      She’s a legend

    • Red 4.2

      What’s her been an older women got to do with it re your reference to an old crow, ageism sexism in one hit

      [Like an old crow is not the same as is an old crow. Seeing as how I’m sure you’re perfectly aware of that, I’m taking you’re comment as deliberate shit stirring. Come back tomorrow to discover the length of your ban.] – Bill

      [Playing silly buggers and disregarding a ban was really stupid. Permanent.] – Bill

      • Red 4.2.1

        Spitting hairs bill, unfortunately Wont be able to make your announcement tomorrow but I hope you enjoy the power and suspense

        • In Vino 4.2.1.1

          Red – please try not to make literate people wince. The difference between ‘been’ and ‘being’ really counts. Against you.

  5. Jilly Bee 5

    Looking at this headline in the Herald this morning brought back a memory from my distant past – I probably was quite young at the time, but living not all that far from Taupo there was a fair bit of angst at the time about how Keith Holyoake purchased this property. It’s obviously been an ‘astute’ purchase as the family now stands to make a very sizable return on the sale, when it happens. The name Comber also rings a bell – I think, and I stand to be corrected that he is/was Kiwi Keith’s son in law and was also a Nat MP back in the day. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11896259

    • JanM 5.1

      Yes, Ken Comber was Keith Holyoake’s son-in-law and also an MP. Goodness – I’ve just looked him up – he’s been dead since 1998 – didn’t even reach 60!

      • The decrypter 5.1.1

        Seem to remember kiwi keiths tar sealed road to property when every one else was driving on dirt roads,–nothings changed.

        • Jilly Bee 5.1.1.1

          Ahhh, that’s it The decrypter – there was something murky about that property.

    • Gabby 5.2

      Maybe another instant kiwi citizen has made an offer she can’t refuse.

  6. Tautoko Mangō Mata 6

    The election is really highlighting the deep divisions in society. It is quite distressing to consider the lack of mutual respect between different groups of people. (I am certainly as guilty as anyone of heaping abuse on members of the current government.) I also think it is in the interest of Tory governments to maintain these divisions lest their voters who ask the question “What will I get out of a government?” instead ask the question “What does the community need from a government?”

    The difficulty is how to reach the hearts of Tory voters and raise their awareness of the human plight of others. Most of them have got, somewhere, deep down, a sense of decency and fair play. I am sure that Metiria tapped into a few of those. However the rich white male who seems to have more regard for his dog than most other people is a harder nut to crack. My small experience with this type seems to show that the environment is perhaps the only common ground of agreement as long as the word “green” never comes in to the conversation. There seems to be little understanding of the merits of our country bothering to make any effort on global warming,

    I have been picking up plastic and other rubbish of my local beach on a daily basis for about 2 years. My contribution is no doubt insignificant when considered on a global scale, but I know that if this was done on every beach in the world, it would make a difference. We need to somehow reach the “why bother” people on an emotional level if we are to create a more pleasant, caring and unified society.

    • gsays 6.1

      Hi ttm, walking behind a kitchen manager one day as a young chef, he stooped to pick up an onion skin and put it in the bin.
      That act had a profound effect on me.
      Leaving a rugby match many moons later, someone dropped a program, instead of remonstrating, I picked it up and put it in the bin.
      Hoping it may have an effect on someone behind me.

      Long winded I know, but don’t under estimate your actions on the beach.

  7. Penny Bright 7

    PAKISTAN SUPREME COURT ‘SACKS’ PAKISTAN PRIME MINISTER FOR CORRUPTION!

    (Imagine our NZ Supreme Court doing that! 🙂

    https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/219619-Panama-leaks-Nawaz-Sharif-survives-as-SC-refers-graft-case-to-NAB

    Pakistan plunges into uncertainty as PM Nawaz Sharif ousted

    ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Friday disqualified Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif from public office over long-running corruption allegations, a decision that ousted him from the premiership for the third time.

    The ruling saw political uncertainty take hold in Pakistan once again, with Cabinet dissolved and the country left without a sitting prime minister.

    As the verdict was announced in Islamabad, hundreds of opposition supporters in the capital and in northwestern Peshawar rushed into the street handing out sweets, beating drums, and chanting “Go Nawaz Go” in celebration.

    But in Lahore, capital of Sharif´s power base of Punjab province, sporadic protests broke out, with his supporters burning tyres, blocking streets and chanting “We don´t accept this decision”.

    General elections are scheduled for next year, but Sharif now falls short of becoming the first premier to complete a full five-year term.

    The allegations against the prime minister spiralled from the Panama Papers leak last year, which sparked a media frenzy over the lavish lifestyles and luxury London property portfolio of the Sharif dynasty.

    Those claims prompted an investigation which said there was a “significant disparity” between the family´s income and lifestyle, and unearthed fresh claims over Sharif´s links to companies based in the United Arab Emirates.
    ….”

    • Gabby 7.1

      We may have a buyer for the Holyoake place.

    • Ad 7.2

      Don’t ask for what you wish for.

      Not a single Pakistani Prime Minister has actually left office by being voted out.

      That is no measure of a good democracy.

      No doubt his family was corrupt. They should pay ill-gotten gains back.

      But now, as usual, the Pakistani Army will get ready to stage the usual coup, and usurp the power of the ordinary person to vote their governments in.

      Courts should not rule over democratic mandates like this.

      • Jilly Bee 7.2.1

        Watching Newshub tonight, it seem as if Imran Khan may get his long held wish to become Prime Minister of Pakistan. God/Allah only knows how long his tenure will be before he in turn gets turfed out.

  8. greywarshark 8

    Tomorrow morning RNZ Wallace Chapman:

    8.35 a.m. Bill Mitchell: modern monetary theory
    An emerging school of economics, called modern monetary theory, says
    government surpluses can be a bad thing and a country with a fiat currency can never run out of money. Professor of Economics Bill Mitchell explains how that can work.

  9. greywarshark 9

    Nuclear power in the Pacific – is this going to help them?

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/335990/iaea-signs-deal-with-pacific-community
    The International Atomic Energy Agency has signed a deal with the Pacific Community or SPC to provide nuclear technology to the Pacific region.
    This was announced in Noumea by the head of the agency Yukiya Amano and follows the formal signing of an agreement in Vienna last month.

    Mr Amano said such technology was effective in a range of fields, such as health, agriculture or the environment….
    [The community’s deputy director Cameron Diver] says nuclear technology could be applied to improve soil quality, in the fight against cancer and to trace marine pollution….

    Also in attendance was the French overseas minister Annick Girardin who pushed for France’s further integration into the region.

  10. greywarshark 10

    There was a NZRadio report about 6 pm today on Tagata o Te Moana 30 odd minutes report, on the inability of Pacific Islands to cope with plastic. When some have disasters like hurricanes and need water it arrives in plastic bottles but no agency then takes those away again. There is no place or way to handle this rubbish. They have been known to collect them from one side of an island where plastic has accumulated, and been taken to the other side and dumped back in the water again.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_garbage_patch
    and
    Heat wave
    https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms16101
    and
    Killing Oz Barrier Reef
    https://nuclear-news.net/category/1-nuclear-issues/environment-1-nuclear-issues/oceans/
    and
    Oil deals with Russia and Exon and Trump?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlY6g6X8D0Y
    and
    http://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/oceans-under-the-microscope.html
    Jul 21, 2017 – Around 95% of the Earth’s oceans are still unexplored – in fact, we know less about the deep sea than we do about space. But although vast swathes of the …
    and …
    https://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/oceanography/
    and
    Leatherback turtles and plastic
    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090315224258.htm
    and
    Capturing the spectrum
    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170711220514.htm
    and
    Worried about cigarette smoke in the car – rush hour worse.
    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170721135331.htm

  11. Marcus Morris 11

    Yesterday I made a comment in the thread re rail transport and I made the claim that the Government was in the pocket of the Road Transport Forum. During this morning’s Q and A session Dr Raymond Miller from Auckland University went even further. He said that the “little known lobby group” has been led since its inception in 1992 by former Transport Ministers. It was also pointed out that the two biggest truck operators in the country (Mainfreight and Toll) don’t actually belong to the forum because their companies are integrated with rail. A further revelation was that the proposed “East West” corridor in Auckland is the least justifiable, the most expensive and the least cost effective of the ten options the government considered. All of this should be hammered out by all parties opposed to the current government over the next eight weeks. We are being led by a bunch of charlatans.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

    Two Bills designed to improve regulation and make it easier to do business have passed their first reading in Parliament, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill and Regulatory Systems (Immigration and Workforce) Amendment Bill make key changes to legislation administered by the Ministry ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • ‘Open banking’ and ‘open electricity’ on the way

    New legislation paves the way for greater competition in sectors such as banking and electricity, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “Competitive markets boost productivity, create employment opportunities and lift living standards. To support competition, we need good quality regulation but, unfortunately, a recent OECD report ranked New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Charity lotteries to be permitted to operate online

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says lotteries for charitable purposes, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, and local hospices, will soon be allowed to operate online permanently. “Under current laws, these fundraising lotteries are only allowed to operate online until October 2024, after which ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Accelerating Northland Expressway

    The Coalition Government is accelerating work on the new four-lane expressway between Auckland and Whangārei as part of its Roads of National Significance programme, with an accelerated delivery model to deliver this project faster and more efficiently, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “For too long, the lack of resilient transport connections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Sir Don to travel to Viet Nam as special envoy

    Sir Don McKinnon will travel to Viet Nam this week as a Special Envoy of the Government, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.    “It is important that the Government give due recognition to the significant contributions that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made to New Zealand-Viet Nam relations,” Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Grant Illingworth KC appointed as transitional Commissioner to Royal Commission

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says newly appointed Commissioner, Grant Illingworth KC, will help deliver the report for the first phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 Lessons, due on 28 November 2024.  “I am pleased to announce that Mr Illingworth will commence his appointment as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ to advance relationships with ASEAN partners

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters travels to Laos this week to participate in a series of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-led Ministerial meetings in Vientiane.    “ASEAN plays an important role in supporting a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Mr Peters says.   “This will be our third visit to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Backing mental health services on the West Coast

    Construction of a new mental health facility at Te Nikau Grey Hospital in Greymouth is today one step closer, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “This $27 million facility shows this Government is delivering on its promise to boost mental health care and improve front line services,” Mr Doocey says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ support for sustainable Pacific fisheries

    New Zealand is committing nearly $50 million to a package supporting sustainable Pacific fisheries development over the next four years, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones announced today. “This support consisting of a range of initiatives demonstrates New Zealand’s commitment to assisting our Pacific partners ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Students’ needs at centre of new charter school adjustments

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says proposed changes to the Education and Training Amendment Bill will ensure charter schools have more flexibility to negotiate employment agreements and are equipped with the right teaching resources. “Cabinet has agreed to progress an amendment which means unions will not be able to initiate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Commissioner replaces Health NZ Board

    In response to serious concerns around oversight, overspend and a significant deterioration in financial outlook, the Board of Health New Zealand will be replaced with a Commissioner, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti announced today.  “The previous government’s botched health reforms have created significant financial challenges at Health NZ that, without ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister to speak at Australian Space Forum

    Minister for Space and Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins will travel to Adelaide tomorrow for space and science engagements, including speaking at the Australian Space Forum.  While there she will also have meetings and visits with a focus on space, biotechnology and innovation.  “New Zealand has a thriving space ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change Minister to attend climate action meeting in China

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will travel to China on Saturday to attend the Ministerial on Climate Action meeting held in Wuhan.  “Attending the Ministerial on Climate Action is an opportunity to advocate for New Zealand climate priorities and engage with our key partners on climate action,” Mr Watts says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Oceans and Fisheries Minister to Solomons

    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is travelling to the Solomon Islands tomorrow for meetings with his counterparts from around the Pacific supporting collective management of the region’s fisheries. The 23rd Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Committee and the 5th Regional Fisheries Ministers’ Meeting in Honiara from 23 to 26 July ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Government launches Military Style Academy Pilot

    The Government today launched the Military Style Academy Pilot at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice residence in Palmerston North, an important part of the Government’s plan to crackdown on youth crime and getting youth offenders back on track, Minister for Children, Karen Chhour said today. “On the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Nine priority bridge replacements to get underway

    The Government has welcomed news the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) has begun work to replace nine priority bridges across the country to ensure our state highway network remains resilient, reliable, and efficient for road users, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.“Increasing productivity and economic growth is a key priority for the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Update on global IT outage

    Acting Prime Minister David Seymour has been in contact throughout the evening with senior officials who have coordinated a whole of government response to the global IT outage and can provide an update. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has designated the National Emergency Management Agency as the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New Zealand, Japan renew Pacific partnership

    New Zealand and Japan will continue to step up their shared engagement with the Pacific, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.    “New Zealand and Japan have a strong, shared interest in a free, open and stable Pacific Islands region,” Mr Peters says.    “We are pleased to be finding more ways ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • New infrastructure energises BOP forestry towns

    New developments in the heart of North Island forestry country will reinvigorate their communities and boost economic development, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones visited Kaingaroa and Kawerau in Bay of Plenty today to open a landmark community centre in the former and a new connecting road in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • 'Pacific Futures'

    President Adeang, fellow Ministers, honourable Diet Member Horii, Ambassadors, distinguished guests.    Minasama, konnichiwa, and good afternoon, everyone.    Distinguished guests, it’s a pleasure to be here with you today to talk about New Zealand’s foreign policy reset, the reasons for it, the values that underpin it, and how it ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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