Open mike 31/10/2020

Written By: - Date published: 6:00 am, October 31st, 2020 - 47 comments
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47 comments on “Open mike 31/10/2020 ”

  1. Andre 1

    For fellow US politics tragics that are going to spend Wednesday frantically refreshing and doom-scrolling US results, here's a brief summary of how results are expected to shift as more votes are counted in various states.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/30/politics/red-blue-mirage-election-results/index.html

    tl;dr Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and to a lesser extent Minnesota, early results will come from in-person voting on the day, and are expected to be better for the sherbert pervert. Early and mail votes will be counted later and are expected to shift towards Biden.

    Florida, North Carolina, and possibly also Ohio, Iowa and Texas, a lot of early and mail votes get processed before election day, and will be announced quickly. These are expected to favour Biden, with a shift towards The Dotard of Doltistan as more on-the-day votes are counted.

    Georgia could be all over the place, how they do it varies by county. Arizona, New Hampshire and Maine have taken steps specifically to avoid having substantial shifts during vote counts.

    side note, as of yesterday, more early votes have been cast in Texas than were cast in all of 2016. So Texas is likely to provide a burst of early excitement, with a long drawn-out anxiety about whether Biden's lead is big enough to hold through to the end.

    • Ad 1.1

      Trump is getting a good late surge in key states, but with the majority of votes cast already its just too late.

      Looks better than 2016 in multiple respects.

      • Andre 1.1.1

        Dunno if that apparent late surge is real. If you dig down into the individual results that make up the polling averages, it might just be that Repug-friendly outfits like Rasmussen, Trafalgar, Susquehanna are releasing results more frequently so it's more likely they will be included in the average.

    • Ad 1.2

      C'mon Harrison!

      • Andre 1.2.1

        Ossof too. Fuck me, he was brutal to Perdue in their first debate. Calling Perdue a crook to his face was just the beginning. So Perdue bailed out on a second helping.

      • Andre 1.2.2

        Unsung heroes of the 2020 Senate contests include Theresa Greenfield (Iowa), Barbara Bollier (Kansas, Republican until recently), Mary Hegar (Texas). All doing solid work with low recognition that might reap the rewards if the blue wave is big enough.

    • Sacha 1.3

      Early and mail votes will be counted later

      Or not.

      • Andre 1.3.1

        It's a worry, and it's very likely some legitimate early votes will get trashed for illegitimate reasons.

        But the balance of power has shifted towards the Dems since 2016 in critical states. For instance, Michigan and Wisconsin now have Dem governors, but were Repugs in 2016. IIRC, the composition of some state supreme courts has shifted as well.

    • weka 1.4

      If you have any links for the day, let me know and I will put up a discussion post.

    • Andre 2.1

      That's certainly entertaining, and will get a rousing "right-on" from those whose world-view is built around blind Dem-hatred. But it ignores all the ideology issues the Dems are in fact campaigning on. The most prominent and salient in this time of covid is healthcare, and relatedly, simple government competence. There's also immigration, inequality and racial and social justice, climate, trade and international policy, and so on.

      Anyone with a genuine interest in any particular ideological topic can find a wealth of information on the genuine differences between Dems and Repugs with just a few clicks. Unless their interest is just in falsely whining that there's no difference between them all.

    • greywarshark 2.2

      edit
      Right on Peter J Pie crystallises columns of discussion, drives right through them and carries the arguments off in pithy, passioned diatribe. I'm in his tribe, when he states that it is all about tribal affiliations with no ideology and no policies that will address the real concerns of the ordinary people being shafted by the Head of States.

      The Dems might say they have policies but are they words written, and sounds emitted rather than actual commitments. The people might be aware that things get blocked by the Senate etc. and have given up trying to think rationally.

      What have we got to lose they say, nobody in power tries to live up to a high national standard. That now, is just a longer flagpole; seeing the flag flying is the thing. Because all that is cared about is appearance, a showy flag that is a symbol to the world. Of what – who cares? What is it even, they've forgotten. Dunno about that but have to show the flag – it's the done thing.

    • Ad 2.3

      He's a vacuous pathetic fool.

  2. Herodotus. 3

    Our kōwhai trees are having their worst flowering season, just wondering if others are having the same experience,
    Yet to also sight any Monarch butterflies.
    I could guess that this has something to do with the dry conditions that Auckland is experiencing

    • James Thrace 3.1

      All good in Wellington. Kowhai were brilliantly flowering the past few weeks. Have seen multiple monarchs fluttering about.

    • greywarshark 3.2

      Perhaps the spray for killing the marijuana plants drifted to the swan plants that the Monarchs like. Like us they may be having trouble finding a secure home under our continually caring government regime.

    • WeTheBleeple 3.3

      We have had brilliant flowering in Westmere. And though the wasps took all the monarchs last year I've seen a couple caterpillars outside recently.

      Micro-climatic conditions I'd guess – or maybe species specific? Some kowhai (younger ones) have shed most their leaves. They're the semi-deciduous species but it is a stress response.

    • In Vino 3.4

      Here in Hamilton I have killed about 10 queen paper wasps around my place, but they are still regularly checking my swan plant, so no chance of monarch butterflies..

      • greywarshark 3.4.1

        I have heard of putting frost cover or something over the plants but i think that the edges need to be sewn as any chink lets the b…rs in. One couple were raising them as a business with benefits to us all, and they said one wasp had got in one night and had an orgy and killed hundreds of their lovely caterpillars and I guess chrysalises – they were selling them for release at weddings.

    • Macro 3.5

      We had the most prolific flowering in our Kowhai this year, and the Kereru, Tui, and Korimako loved it. 🙂

  3. greywarshark 4

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/123218944/the-auckland-hotel-that-doesnt-exist

    Trip Advisor has tripped up. A determined citizen has managed to get a fake hotel site taken down that has had fake positive reviews on it. TrippingA had 5 star reviews on it. But it doesn't exist.

    The unnamed man saw it and knew that the address is a private house currently under renovation. He contacted TA who replied that the hotel has a website and is legit. Travellers had attempted to stay there and ended up door-knocking neighbours asking where it was. The site had booking and a credit card facility and used pictures and text from other hotels to illustrate it supposed attractions.

    What this responsible man did:

    Contacted TA who replied it was OK.

    Contacted them again, saying he was a local and confirmed there was no hotel there. And gave them rate info search instructions for Auckland to establish its status. More emails from TA repeating assurances about hotel.

    The email address for the hotel 'Emira Plams' didn't work, and the phone number didn't connect, when Stuff called.

    Then the man tried to get the website taken down in NZ. He didn't succeed through the Domain Name Commissioner and CertNZ which said they had no 'powers to block or remove content', but can work with police and the DNC to 'remove the web address'

    Finally on Thursday last the DNC said after investigation 'the domain name has been suspended'. And on Friday it had been taken down.

    CertNZ said to watch out for false sites looking for bad spelling and grammar!

    Trip Advisor said they had been investigating behind the scenes. They had told the complainant that they needed more proof.

    He says that people need to be aware that some information offered online may be false. (It appears that a customer should try to phone, don't know about trying to email as if you get on a fake email list it is a nuisance).

    This man gets my thanks for going through the time-consuming follow-up on this problem, and Stuff for also investigating it. Having done this once, and knowing how to go about it, it is likely to be tried again. And we, the virtual small animals transfixed in the headlights of looming all-powerful technology, need to watch out for our safety, and to support other humans so we don't get squashed.

  4. newsense 5

    So net result of Labour timidity is that ACT are now the dominant intellectual force of social change in New Zealand?

    That is what steals the headline from the landslide?

  5. Anker 6
    • What do you mean re Labours timidity new sense? Are you referring to the cannabis referendum?

    if so how were labour timid?

    The news of the referendum was yesterday’s head line.

    • newsense 6.1

      What is Labour going to do? 100,000 houses? No, can't be done. 10,000 houses? Who knows? Not a wealth tax, not a cgt, no plastic bags, subside Southland again and what? Just enough oil on any squeaky wheels, but what is their intellectual momentum and heft?

      The takeaway should be Labour's unprecedented victory. But that is as pandemic wardens. They have made little argument for anything else, and dampened down momentum they had in their first term.

      The surging political force this week seems to be ACT. They're currently the one's with a record of the public buying into their ideas- and a 60 percent vote.

      • Foreign waka 6.1.1

        Sad isn't it. I have yet to hear anything that identifies some sort of idea that converts into manageable reality for actual people, not just an academic exercise on a spreadsheet.

      • Tricledrown 6.1.2

        Votes all coming from National right wingers who couldn't stomach Nationals meltdown

  6. Reality 7

    The pro cannabis people seem to believe it would be happy ever after and it would solve all their issues if it was to be legalised. Just as alcohol is only a short term fix for people, cannabis is presumably similar.

    Just as 18 year olds regard it as a right of passage they can buy alcohol the day they turn 18, 20 year olds being able to buy cannabis would be the same. But apparently young brains until 25 should not be indulging. The pro cannabis lobby gave all the reasons for, but did not highlight risks. They also came over as pretty rabid and extreme, a turn off for many.

    On the other hand, I agree medicinal cannabis should be readily available for those in pain.

    The end of life debate was much better publicised and debated, both for and against. Neither side came over as wild-eyed and over-wrought.

    • weka 7.1

      You never drink alcohol?

      • greywarshark 7.1.1

        Reality
        That marijuana is criminalised means that people with some in their possession are criminals for doing nothing beyond having some plant material that is hallucinatory. It's entry level into the Court system. It is not right to dismiss the affect of marijuana being illegal. And as for brain development, people shouldn't be playing rugby, the head contact is bad for the players. This worrying about people not having optimum development is a lot of hoo-ha. Normally society doesn't care two hoots about others, they just go all cautious when there is an attempt to smarten the law up – ooh change, all the mights come out to play, I'm so worried about everything, change stresses me so and I'm so important that everything should stop till my head stops spinning.

  7. Foreign waka 8

    Two headlines today stand out:

    "Landlords racing to beat return of LVR" and

    " Here's how high earners might avoid new top tax rate"

    My thoughts to these are that all those well to do people have the audacity to prescribe what the ordinary person on a min to average income is to do to get by on an ever lower income, whilst they already sceaming how to continue fleecing everybody on all ends. The worst part is that there seem to be a certain pride attached to this so as to say everybody who isn't doing the same is a sucker.

    Well, we shouldn't be surprised that we end up with a lawless society having no respect or inclination to contribute and build communities if we so "admire" the scum. In a world of exposure, clicks and likes is the fact to being heralded in the media as something that is "cool" that shapes behaviour.

  8. roy cartland 9

    So if A/NZ is actually moving toward becoming a republic, what should our head of state's title be? Surely not "President", who [….snore….] presides over an administration [….yawn….] which, in any case, has been devalued to the point of ridiculum.

    I propose a Māori term. As the only country with NZM as an official language, naturally it ought to be.

    Kawana is taken; Rangatira isn't quite right, as it's not really the PM's job to 'bring people together' (or is it?); Kingi and Kuini – no, for obvious colonial reasons; something with a bit more mana:

    Kaitiaki: Guardian, ie of the people/democracy/country/enviro?

    Imagine the whole world, the UN and everyone referring to our head of state in our own language! That's sovereignty, baby. How do we get it happening?

  9. Macro 10

    Now this is a number plate that one could really relate too.

    SmartSelect_20201030-072140_Facebook

  10. Chess Player 11

    So, we can now get drunk 7 days a week, and then elect to have ourselves euthanised, but we can't get stoned even once?

  11. ScottGN 12

    Polls close in Queensland in about 40 minutes after a typically brutal Aussie election campaign.

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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
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    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
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    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
    5 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
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    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • That Word.
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    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
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    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
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    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
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    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
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    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
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    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
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    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
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    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
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    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 ...
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    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 ...
    6 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
    6 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
    6 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
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    6 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
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    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    6 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 ...
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    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
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    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

  • Government moves to quickly ratify the NZ-EU FTA
    "The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours 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
    11 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
    13 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
    13 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
    1 day 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. ...
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    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 ...
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    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
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    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
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    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
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    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
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    6 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
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    6 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
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    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
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    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
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    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
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    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
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  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
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    7 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
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    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
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    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
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    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
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    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
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    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
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    1 week ago
  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
    Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology.  It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
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    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
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    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
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    1 week ago
  • Minister to attend World Anti-Doping Agency Symposium
    Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
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    1 week ago

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