Open mike 30/10/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 30th, 2020 - 70 comments
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70 comments on “Open mike 30/10/2020 ”

  1. PsyclingLeft.Always 1

    Coal Mining

    "An experienced miner who once headed Spring Creek is behind plans to reopen it, with a decision from regulators due mid-2021."

    Permit…and Jobs

    "Terra Firma Mining Ltd announced in July it wanted to drain the mine and reopen it with a smaller operation, targeting the specialist market of silicon manufacturing.

    It would target about 200,000 tonnes of coal a year and employ 60 staff when in production.

    Terra Firma has already applied for the minerals permit, and says it has the staff and equipment ready to start work."

    On this side…

    https://www.letstalkaboutcoal.co.nz/coal-in-nz/

    The other…

    https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2010/S00211/activists-deliver-a-message-to-mining-lobby-straterra-as-mining-lobby-cancels-conference.htm

    I've talked to many people…and they are genuinely Interested in what the Greens offer for Work alternatives? (Not just in the coal replacing areas either. )

    Oh…and an FYI for the "interested"…I dont use coal. And see its replacement as Urgent. I also signed petition against Denniston mine …and others…. Anyway.

  2. Devo 2

    Fingers crossed that the cannabis referendum is close enough today to win outright or to flip on the specials

    • Patricia Bremner 2.1

      Yes, thinking of those who are living in hope of the affimative.

      • Phillip ure 2.1.1

        I am going purple in the face from holding my breath re cannabis outcome …hopefully I will be able to exhale @ 2pm..I actually voted no on the euthanasia bill…three reasons for that ..one is the high standard of palliative care in this country..so end of life suffering is minimised..(so what is the problem we are trying to fix here..?)..second is fear of abuse/coercion by family ..trying to hurry things along…and the third is class/race-based…as in the poor and those others already proven to receive less care than white folks..will no doubt be euthanized at a higher rate than those monied/white folks…and to my mind any one of those three reasons is reason enough to say no….

        • Phillip ure 2.1.1.1

          This must be how a national party voter felt on election nite. .I am 2 for zero on the referendums ..

  3. Sanctuary 3

    Kier Starmer apparently hit a cyclist and then left the scene before the police arrived in London on Sunday just past, he was apparently on his way to his tailor in his SUV at the time. It has given rise to a mild joke doing the rounds at the moment in the UK that goes he hit the cyclist because he indicated he was turning left but went right instead.

    Such a joke is strong indicator that the jury of the wisdom of the crowd is now in on Starmer while the circumstances – few in the UK visit their tailor on a Sunday – gives us a glimpse of the world of the British elite. Out of touch, lacking self-awareness, narcissistic and a smug assumption of being above the law. No wonder the shambolic British coronavirus response has been marked by corruption, nepotism, and incompetence.

    The British Labour party is still behind in the polls despite the catastrophic handing of the pandemic but it seems from news from the UK that the real enemy is the is still the Labour left and Jeremy Corbyn, and weaponising anti-Semitism as a way to ensure the most obvious current threat to the rule of the British ruling class are removed from anywhere near the levers of official power. Tory-lite waiting interminably for muggins turn.

    Looking at the UK, you have to conclude their post-imperial decline is gathering pace. Covid has smashed British soft power. It is the biggest hit to British prestige and cultural influence since the fall of Singapore in 1942. The UK consists of a ghastly tinsel monarchy imprisoned in a Byzantine thicket of pretentious protocol, a frantic and ridiculous English nativism that props up a myth of great power status via hollow imperial pomposity, An economy that relies on selling weapons to brutal Wahhabist extremists, squandered oil reserves pissed up against the wall on tax cuts and sticking plaster welfare and a corrupt to its eyeballs upper class ruling clique that has given up even pretending to care about anyone except themselves and the crony capitalism they all benefit from. The electoral system is a train wreck, obsolete, dysfunctional yet apparently unreformable for reasons of Westminster’s "greatness" as the "Mother of Parliaments" (despite the fact that NZ's parliament is nowadays more representative, elected by a fairer system, and by a considerable margin the oldest fully representative parliament in the world).

    What a shocking state of affairs, no wonder the Scots want out, Northern Ireland is thinking the South isn’t that bad after all and even the Wales, long regarded as the personal property of the British crown, is umming and arring about going it alone. I’d want to be shot of the English shit-show as well if I were them.

    • tc 3.1

      Starmer's continuing to do a wonderful job on behalf of the tories. Reminds us that the ABC brigade are still around in parts under Ardern.

    • I Feel Love 3.2

      Great summation, wonderful writing, nice one.

    • Ad 3.3

      For those interested in the actual investigation into anti-Semetism within the Corbyn-led Labour Party, here's the summarised findings of the UK's Equality and Human Rights Commission report for you to consider:

      https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/oct/29/key-findings-of-the-ehrc-inquiry-into-labour-antisemitism

      • Siobhan 3.3.1

        …and for those interested in some actual thoughts on Corbyn..or atleast opinion from people who are not on record as having gleeful bias against any and all policies and stands associated with Corbyn.. here's another great piece from David Graeber..

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-oOg2J0aYc

        I was tempted to go over the Guardians hatchet job on Corbyn..however I recal covering their proud stand against Corbyn so often I started boring myself..I only hope the Guardian folk are enjoying life under Boris..and I wish them the best of luck getting any traction with Starmer..

    • Ad 3.4

      Sometimes we see national decay occurring faster than it is, because we want to see it.

      States have this decade become masters at exploiting the seams between peace and war. What constitutes an asset or a weapon in this grey area longer has to go 'bang'.

      Energy, cash, corrupt business practices, cyber attacks, assassination, fake news, propaganda, trade disputes, and indeed military intimidation are all examples used to gain advantage in this era of constant competition. In this respect the UK does very well.

      It's not kind, or polite, or even-handed, or sometimes even rule based. And we've been waiting for hubris to catch up with UK colonialism in one great redemptive wave for a while.

      It's not going to happen. London remains the financial capital of Europe. The UK remains the energy leader of Europe. Britain's public institutions remain strong. Its companies remain dominant in the world.

      The last time I can recall someone trying to evaluate global soft and hard power as an evaluation of national capacity, it was the Henry Jackson Society.

      https://henryjacksonsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/HJS-2019-Audit-of-Geopolitical-Capability-Report-web.pdf

      Britain was still ranked second in the world.

      Plenty to argue about in the methodology section, but there's no story of inevitable entropy in there.

      • RedLogix 3.4.1

        Yes lots to debate in the methodology there, but worth a read all the same.

        It all comes down to a pair of concepts we can easily grasp but spend little time pondering.The first is continuity: the idea that the positive things that make your life today possible—health, shelter, clean water, food, education, clothing, a functioning government, and so on—will still be around tomorrow. The second is economies of scale (and it's close cousin specialisation).

        Both are necessary for successful nation to establish itself and then develop. Both heavily depend on geography; locations in the world that have secure borders, easily integrated interiors and sufficient size to gain economies of scale are rare.

        For instance Russia has any amount of scale, but lacks decent borders, while NZ is the most protected nation on earth, but we're too small to gain scale. My main quibble with this document is that while it tosses many interesting factors into the mix, it places too low a weight on the ones that really matter in the long run.

        The reason why I keep returning to this theme is that the post WW2 US-led order is coming to an end. It was a unique period of human history where virtually all nations could trade with all others, with both the security guarantee and trade mechanisms propped up by the USA. For all of our lifetimes, geography never really mattered the way it did through 10,000 yrs of conquest and empire.

        Well now the Yanks are going home, and once again geography will matter. And we're not really accustomed to this.

    • Mika 3.5

      Really interesting video from a Jewish socialist/anarchist on the background to anti-semitism and accusations of such within the political left.

      https://www.doubledown.news/watch/2020/12/april/the-weaponisation-of-labour-antisemitism-david-graeber

  4. Andre 4

    First we had the nasty-ass honey badger don't care, now we have nasty-ass covey spreader don't care.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_q5kwu-1924

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r7wHMg5Yjg

    • AB 4.1

      What can Biden do if deaths are pushing towards 300,000 by early January when (if) he assumes office – and still climbing? Trump has so poisoned the well that coordinated, national action seems impossible without battles on the streets with armed Covid-deniers.

      • Ad 4.1.1

        Well, he could just follow the plan he has set out. It includes:

        1. Set consistent, evidence-based guidance to stop outbreaks

        2. Seriously ramp up testing

        3. Establish a US Public Health Jobs Corps

        4. Help people get health insurance

        5. Create a caregiving workforce

        6. Bolster resources for vaccine distribution and PPE production

        There's trucks of detail under that.

        https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/10/28/928392673/coronavirus-is-a-key-campaign-issue-whats-joe-biden-s-plan

        Of course, for any of that, Biden has to win.

        • AB 4.1.1.1

          2-5 are good, but are chasing after the virus. No. 6 requires that a safe, effective vaccine actually exists. No. 1 is where the opportunity lies to actually make a difference, but if executed via real actions like short, sharp lockdowns and giving everybody money to survive, will spark the contention and violence everyone fears.

          I don't see Biden as having the will (or support from his donors) to do what actually works. And I certainly don't buy the insinuation that Biden is some sort of under-rated policy genius who will surprise everyone.

    • Gabby 5.1

      Hiring Fijian troops to run their refugee concentration camps?

    • McFlock 5.2

      Didn't we get Aussie cops to assist after the earthquake?

      • greywarshark 5.2.1

        Were they given free rein to branch out wherever they saw fit?

        This from the above link – green left:
        New bill aims to allow foreign troops and foreign police to be used in ‘emergencies’

        The new bill has not received a lot of media attention. However, human rights lawyer Kellie Tranter said in September that “there are a number of elements that are concerning and will impact on civil liberties”.

        In her briefing paper she said that the bill not only fails to properly define “other emergencies”, it also: “delegates too much responsibility for the call out to a single minister; permits foreign armies and police forces to be called in; does not restrict the use of force for defence forces and extends an unreasonable level of immunity for the defence force from criminal and civil penalties.

        “Defence forces used in a civilian context should not be normalised”, she said…

        This bill enables foreign military forces and foreign police to be used in emergencies; and with immunity from prosecution and the assistance that they are providing is at the discretions of the minister.

        • McFlock 5.2.1.1

          Same rein as NZ cops.

          • greywarshark 5.2.1.1.1

            I think the lawyer in OZ sees the move as enabling a virtual occupying force if there were enough protests or on just about any excuse if blown up enough, and can be done on the brainfart of one particular minister.

            • McFlock 5.2.1.1.1.1

              It's a bit like the lawyer who got the judgement that the first week of lockdown was illegal, in my opinion.

              It's good for lawyers to raise these points, but they're not really big news that the population should be aghast at. If there are so many protests in aus that state and federal police, supported by aussie soldiers, aren't enough, then inviting in the US 7th Fleet isn't going to help.

              But if there are multi-state wildfires in the southeast and a tsunami hits the Gold Coast, better to smooth the legalities of international assistance now.

              • greywarshark

                https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/429483/ministry-of-foreign-affairs-and-trade-issues-warning-for-new-zealanders-ahead-of-us-election

                The 59th US presidential election is set to take place on Wednesday, New Zealand time.

                The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) Safe Travel website said political activity, including rallies and protests, could be expected in the lead-up to the election and the presidential inauguration.

                "Even protests or political rallies which are intended to be peaceful can result in violence," it said.

                "A strong police and/or National Guard presence can be expected at any further protests. Police measures have, at times, included the use of rubber bullets and/or pepper spray to disperse crowds."

                United States troops and others have practised maneouvres in NZ using a similar scenario happening here, to be the background for organising their actions.

          • KSaysHi 5.2.1.1.2

            They didn't get immunity from prosecution when carrying out their duties.

  5. millsy 6

    Corbyn's worst crime was to speak out against Israel's treatment of Palestinians, and continued encroachment on their land.

    • Devo 6.1

      The Democrats in the U.S.A and Labour in the UK have fought harder against their own progressive voices in Sanders and Corbyn than they have against their conservative governments. Makes me feel ill

      • greywarshark 6.2.1

        I think I'll support The Canary it looks promising for useful information well presented.

        I have been getting samples of what The Telegraph puts up and have formed my own opinion about it. It seems to me to appeal to the hoity toity in the UK and come out with snide little pieces about the young Royals, a fair amount to amuse the comfortable middle class, and sneery bits about left concerns with only a few that indicate a balanced viewpoint towards politics. I can't waste my time reading those things.

        The Canary cheeps well by the looks of it. Thanks BG for putting that up. However I think I will donate to The Guardian too if they have a useful news service that will accept my 'mite'.

    • Mika 6.3

      "Corbyn's worst crime was to speak out against Israel's treatment of Palestinians, and continued encroachment on their land."

      I think it is more about the attempts by the Blairite wing of the party to use any means necessary to defeat Corbynism, and Corbyn's support for Palestine gave them the opportunity. I don't think Starmer et al are doing this because they have strong views on Israel and Palestine; their goal is to bring the days of the mass membership party to an end and turn UK Labour into a Blairite rump.

      The ensuing civil war in UK Labour will run for decades after this.

      • Bearded Git 6.3.1

        Agreed Mika….if they had MMP Corbyn would already have formed a new left wing party.

        • Mika 6.3.1.1

          I don't think the same applies to UK. UK Labour party has a long history of being the organised wing of the labour movement, and the links to the unions have been retained even during the Kinnock and Blair eras. So the potential for UK Labour to become again a mass socialist party of the working class has remained, in a way that it hasn't in NZ Labour.

      • AB 6.3.2

        Or the plan is to be so outrageous in the condemnation of anti-Semitism that barely exists, that you end up provoking the real thing. Thereby creating a retrospective justification of your original outrageous claims.

        • Mika 6.3.2.1

          More than one Jewish socialist commentator has suggested this is what has actually happened.

    • Gabby 6.4

      Or being lazy about anything involving disagreeing with anybody. That mural thing was just stupid.

    • Ad 6.5

      Corbyn's worst crime was losing when he should have won.

      The rest is excuses.

  6. Anne 7

    It looks to me like Britain is going down the same path of chaos and anarchy as the USA. The methods being used are different but the end result is the same. And it is the neoliberal ideology which is largely responsible – the rise in narcissism… power at all cost… nepotism (in Britain the notion that upper class toffs should rule) and deeply embedded corruption in high places.

    • greywarshark 7.1

      This thought came to me this morning, it seems to fit in with yours.

      The splitting of communism by capitalism in the apparent triumph of the USA over Russia's apparent ambitions seems to have resulted in lesser concern for people, effectiveness of the country's living conditions and businesses.

      It seems to confirm the economic thing about needing competition to stop a monopoly getting slack and incompetent. Having communism seen as an opposition forced the USA to show that it was better in every way. Now it just shambles round like an old drunk with money, indulging itself uncaring about affects on others and looking for others drunk with whatever – finding the UK and perhaps France to be drinking buddies with, (and Australia eager to join the party and sneer at the wowsers outside).

      Lisa from the Simpsons with a message to us in these times!

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IIliP-ytiE

  7. greywarshark 8

    My point is confirmed about the need to love our parents, not disdain them, regard them as a boring drain on the country which it might surprise many people, is the received message by many from their treatment by authorities here.

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/429462/screen-time-a-concern-as-research-finds-poor-language-skills-for-new-entrant-children
    Alarming numbers of children are starting school with very poor language skills, with some only speaking like two year olds…

    More than 60 percent of new entrants in some low-decile schools in Christchurch struggle to express themselves in words.
    Of the 247 children tested by researchers at Canterbury University 16 percent could not pronounce the few words they did know properly.

    The director of the Child Well-Being Research Institute, Professor Gail Gillon, who is leading the study, said the root causes were complex, including household stress and parents working multiple jobs to pay for the necessities of life, leaving them no time to spend with their children.
    Screen-time was also a factor because it reduces talking time.

    Children aren't developing properly because their parents don't talk to them enough. Other matters have priority like getting back to work when they are still babies. And coming home tired and stressed from work ever after. For many, seeming to have a good standard of living, getting back to work to afford the house payments would be a priority after a certain amount of maternity leave.

    Or the parents are in the precariat, and don't receive enough wages and state monetary assistance that is not a loan and when they are at home are too uptight and edgy to sit long with the child, playing with it, having little games of pick up the toy, singing with it, later reading with it.

    There isn't time, they have to be out of their house in a month and have to find something else, hopefully near the kid's school, or they have to find a new school too. Etc etc and on. What a bloody life to offer young parents in a country that prided itself on being the best to bring children up in. All words, and fleeting emotion, a bit of sentimentality that we didn't really mean and care enough to hold onto. What hypocrites we have been. Can we find our way back to a reasonable standard of care now?? Or have we declined into sterile modernity and it's all SEP and technology will be brought forward to manage every aspect of our lives? Make up your minds.

    • greywarshark 8.1

      By the way when I say 'our parents' I am thinking nation-wide not our personal parents. There seems a need for some group to be scapegoats in any society – that is where all the bad values tend to reside. And I fear that young parents and especially unmarried ones, have been made the official ones by the preachy, and pseudo-religious in management roles, and the cant of politicians who seem to be figures of rectitude in their electorates.

  8. Byd0nz 9

    Can't wait to see Scotland vote for Independence and get rid of the sassenachs. Eisd O Eisd.

    • The Al1en 9.1

      Yeah, will be comical to see them withdraw from one union, for the 'independence', and attempt to immediately join another far more restrictive and less sovereign one in Europe.

      But yes, a hard border please, no use of Sterling in their economy and renewable permits needed to live and/or work in England will do for starters. Oi oi saveloy.

    • woodart 9.2

      cant wait for scotland to vote for independence. end of union jack, we will HAVE to change our flag then.

  9. Phillip ure 10

    The greedy/grasping rentier-class/slumlords writ large…rents have gone up 25 percent in porirua in the last year..one of the poorest suburbs in nz…scum-sucking bastards they are..

  10. Patricia Bremner 11

    Blast!! So sorry Barfly. So close and yet too far for the specials I think. However, I am heartened by the number of specials.. we need two thirds of those to get yes.

    Also there is talk of a members bill if the vote is extremely close, so waiting.

    • At only 53% against in the cannabis referendum a member's bill would make sense.

      It would get through in a referendum vote in 10 years time anyway.

      • Stuart Munro 11.1.1

        Labour, being keen to support the post-Covid economy, may put it through anyway, if the referendum is pretty close.

  11. RosieLee 12

    So cannabis for personal use is banned, and will stay in the hands of the gangs and illegal trade, criminalising perfectly ordinary recreational users. Medicinal cannabis for perfectly legitimate reasons will remain in the hands of Big Pharma and be prohibitively expensive. I just don't get it.

  12. SPC 13

    It is going to be harder for the Green Party members to accept the party working with the government after they ruled out decriminalisation without any apparent consultation.

    • SPC 13.1

      Questions

      1. Did Little decide on no decriminalisation himself or is it Cabinet policy – er what Cabinet there is none yet appointed, a higher level call?
      2. Were Greens informed of this while negotiating with Labor over Ministerial positions
      3. Were Greens consulted before Little made his public statement
      4. Is this an attempt to induce a Green Party member veto of a working agreement with Labour?

      Because on the grounds of loss of trust alone, this is now quite possible.

      • Sabine 13.1.1

        this is from September

        https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2020/09/cannabis-referendum-jacinda-ardern-reveals-why-she-won-t-publicly-take-a-side.html

        In contrast, the cannabis referendum is not binding. It was set up as part of the Green Party's confidence and supply agreement with Labour. A proposed legal regime is outlined in the Cannabis Legalisation and Control Bill, but there's no legal obligation for it to be adopted wholesale if the referendum passes.

        "On the issue of marijuana, that is a conscience vote for the Labour Party… we do not have a position as a whole party," said Ardern. "My view therefore would not be the Labour Party view.

        this from October

        https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/jacinda-ardern-outlines-priorities-cannabis-reform-regardless-whether-referendum-passes

        The first priority, she said, would be to ensure "young people do not end up damaging themselves as a result of access, because that is what I saw as a young person".

        "Second, I don't want to see people unnecessarily criminalised. Whatever outcome, that’s what I think we should be looking to achieve."

        Ardern was asked today if Labour would consider decriminalisation of cannabis as an alternative, if the legalisation effort failed but the party returned to power.

        "Only if it is considered in the public interest to do so," she said. "What I am interested in doing is looking at the circumstances of the way that the change of law is happening now. Is it meeting our expectations?"

        i think it was quite clear before the election that if the referendum were to fail that looking to the Labour party for something would be a big fat waste of time. As for the Green Party, the Labour Party at this stage owes them nothing and does not need to consult nor ask the Greens for anything.

        • SPC 13.1.1.1

          As one person who supports the Greens all I can say is, I no longer trust the Labour Party to do the right thing. And I would advise that they reconsider taking Ministerial positions or having anything to do with them.

          This three year period is going to be monumental disappointment and they would be better advised to have nothing to do with it and thus retain credibility via independence – holding this lot to account now needs to be their prime job.

          • Sabine 13.1.1.1.1

            The 'holding to account' needs to happen before any election, once the count is in its to late. And frankly, to many people got cought up in that fearmongering that National would have a chance – were clearly they never had. That led people to vote for Labour as if FPTP is still the law of the land. And in regards to the weed referendum, Labour was quite clear about 'not gonna do much if it gets a no vote' before the election.

            And like National, Labour now risks becoming a no mates party.

            • SPC 13.1.1.1.1.1

              It had a mandate for decriminalisation – around 49% for legalisation and a major group in the no campaign supported decriminalisatuion.

              Not acting on that mandate, after the party leader said they would look to reduce harm to people (whatever the result) is indicative that Labour is going to upset half their own party and the Greens just to retain some centre support.

              It'll take a year and people will be saying Ardern is the best National Party voter supported PM since Key. Not praise as high as that for Douglas, who was rated a better Min of Finance than Muldoon.

              • Sabine

                It'll take a year and people will be saying Ardern is the best National Party voter supported PM since Key.

                some of us said that before the election 🙂 .

                anyways, the child has fallen into the well, and no use for crying over spilled beans.

                Fact is that Labour could tomorrow simply state that it would go the way of Holland, Canada, the US etc and start with decriming personal use, small possesion and growing for own use. Tomorrow. All on its own. And they don't. Everything else is not important. They have the numbers to go it alone and they don't. And worse even, they don't even bother coming up with a justification that is science based, costed – both the cost of implementation, the cost of savings in regards to prison time, home D etc, and the subsequent investment into mental health and general well being, and last the emotional one 'what about personal freedom and choice'. So it seems Labour has no issues with the status quo, no matter the harm it causes.

                • SPC

                  Which explains the no affordable dental and the cheap diabetic drug Maori get which means they go onto kidney dialysis 10 years before they should (which makes them more vulnerable during a pandemic).

                  National will not hold them to account, nor ACT – it has to be Greens.

                • Phillip ure

                  I agree..the whole referendum thing was a cop-out .. an abdication of authority/leadership on arderns' part…she should have shown some leadership ..that's what leaders are expected to do…that's why they are elected…so now we end up with this mess..if we wanted 100 percent consensus all the time..we'd elect counsellors to rule over us..

                  • SPC

                    Labour is competing to be the party of government, the space is more narrow since Key.

                    He kept interest free fees and WFF tax credits, Labour went brightline 2 to 5 years and now a top rate of tax like Clark had (both these adjustments National will remove in 2023 or 2026).

                  • Grantoc

                    The referendum was the Greens idea I thought – part of their agreement with Labour following the 2017 election.

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    Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi The fact that a ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    8 hours ago
  • Is Simon Bridges’ NZTA appointment a conflict of interest?
    Bryce Edwards writes – Last week former National Party leader Simon Bridges was appointed by the Government as the new chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). You can read about the appointment in Thomas Coughlan’s article, Simon Bridges to become chair of NZ Transport Agency ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    8 hours ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' at 10:10am on Tuesday, March 19
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Gavin Jacobson talks to Thomas Piketty 10 years on from Capital in the 21st Century The SalvoLocal scoop: Green MP’s business being investigated over migrant exploitation claims Stuff Steve KilgallonLocal deep-dive: The commercial contractors making money from School ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    8 hours ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things on Tuesday, March 19
    It’s a home - but Kāinga Ora tenants accused of “abusing the privilege” may lose it. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The Government announced a crackdown on Kāinga Ora tenants who were unruly and/or behind on their rent, with Housing Minister Chris Bishop saying a place in a state ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    9 hours ago
  • New Life for Light Rail
    This is a guest post by Connor Sharp of Surface Light Rail  Light rail in Auckland: A way forward sooner than you think With the coup de grâce of Auckland Light Rail (ALR) earlier this year, and the shift of the government’s priorities to roads, roads, and more roads, it ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    10 hours ago
  • Why Are Bosses Nearly All Buffoons?
    Note: As a paid-up Webworm member, I’ve recorded this Webworm as a mini-podcast for you as well. Some of you said you liked this option - so I aim to provide it when I get a chance to record! Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    12 hours ago
  • Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6.06 pm on March 18
    TL;DR: In my ‘six-stack’ of substacks at 6.06pm on Monday, March 18:IKEA is accused of planting big forests in New Zealand to green-wash; REDD-MonitorA City for People takes a well-deserved victory lap over Wellington’s pro-YIMBY District Plan votes; A City for PeopleSteven Anastasiou takes a close look at the sticky ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Peters holds his ground on co-governance, but Willis wriggles on those tax cuts and SNA suspension l...
    Buzz from the Beehive Here’s hoping for a lively post-cabinet press conference when the PM and – perhaps – some of his ministers tell us what was discussed at their meeting today. Until then, Point of Order has precious little Beehive news to report after its latest monitoring of the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s final report card
    David Farrar writes –  We now have almost all 2023 data in, which has allowed me to update my annual table of how  went against its promises. This is basically their final report card. The promise The result Build 100,000 affordable homes over 10 ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • “Drunk Uncle at a Wedding”
    I’m a bit worried that I’ve started a previous newsletter with the words “just when you think they couldn’t get any worse…” Seems lately that I could begin pretty much every issue with that opening. Such is the nature of our coalition government that they seem to be outdoing each ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Geoffrey Miller writes – 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. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on Dune 2, and images of Islam
    Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture ...
    1 day ago
  • New Rail Operations Centre Promises Better Train Services
    Last week Transport Minster Simeon Brown and Mayor Wayne Brown opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre. The new train control centre will see teams from KiwiRail, Auckland Transport and Auckland One Rail working more closely together to improve train services across the city. The Auckland Rail Operations Centre in ...
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's six newsy things at 6.36am on Monday, March 18
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Retiring former Labour Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in an exit interview with Q+A yesterday the Government can and should sustain more debt to invest in infrastructure for future generations. Elsewhere in the news in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 6:36am: Read more ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: Wang Yi’s perfectly-timed, Aukus-themed visit to New Zealand
    Timing is everything. And from China’s perspective, this week’s visit by its foreign minister to New Zealand could be coming at just the right moment. The visit by Wang Yi to Wellington will be his first since 2017. Anniversaries are important to Beijing. It is more than just a happy ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    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
    2 days ago
  • Bitter and angry; Winston First
    New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters’s state-of-the-nation speech on Sunday was really a state-of-Winston-First speech. He barely mentioned any of the Government’s key policies and could not even wholly endorse its signature income tax cuts. Instead, he rehearsed all of his complaints about the Ardern Government, including an extraordinary claim ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #11
    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, March 10, 2024 thru Sat, March 16, 2024. Story of the week This week we'll give you a little glimpse into how we collect links to share and ...
    2 days ago
  • Out of Touch.
    “I’ve been internalising a really complicated situation in my head.”When they kept telling us we should wait until we get to know him, were they taking the piss? Was it a case of, if you think this is bad, wait till you get to know the real Christopher, after the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Bring out your Dad
    Happy fourth anniversary, Pandemic That Upended Bloody Everything. I have been observing it by enjoying my second bout of COVID. It’s 5.30 on Sunday morning and only now are lights turning back on for me.Allow me to copy and paste what I told reader Sara yesterday:Depleted, fogged and crappy. Resting, ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The bewildering world of Chris Luxon – Guns for all, not no lunch for kids
    .“$10 and a target that bleeds” - Bleeding Targets for Under $10!.Thanks for reading Frankly Speaking ! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.This government appears hell-bent on either scrapping life-saving legislation or reintroducing things that - frustrated critics insist - will be dangerous and likely ...
    Frankly SpeakingBy Frank Macskasy
    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    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
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • 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

  • 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
    6 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
    8 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
    9 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
    22 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
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