Over it.

Written By: - Date published: 10:54 am, December 16th, 2014 - 56 comments
Categories: journalism, Media, newspapers, radio - Tags: , ,

Let me get this straight. An armed guy in a café takes some customers as hostages. As Colonial Rawshark has commented on a couple of threads, this is a standard armed hostage type situation. Can we expect world headlines the next time somebody lingers in a dairy, holding the owner at knife point while the police congregate outside?

This whole Sydney situation has been bullshit and all major news outlets ought to be engaged in some serious self reflection and begging our fucking forgiveness this morning. Actually, no. What any reasonable news outlet would be doing is questioning whether the authorities have finally jumped the shark with all their anti-terrorist hype. But I guess that’s our problem right there. The shark jumping is a tandem affair involving both the authorities and major news outlets.

So it looks like you’ll just have to rely on your own judgement for deciding what is reasonable and sensible and whether or not the shark has been well and truly jumped.

56 comments on “Over it. ”

  1. felix 1

    We are all terrorists now.

    • batweka 1.1

      and we can add people with mental health issues and refugees to the list of people who should expect to be monitored.

      • Bill 1.1.1

        It’s government, their propaganda systems and security policies that ought to be monitored. Unfortunately, all major news outlets are very much part and parcel of the propaganda system.

        I’m listening to Radio NZ right now. No analysis of how they reported events from Sydney yesterday.

        Also just checked the Guardian (that I was none too impressed with yesterday), and it’s carrying this sub-headline – Regardless of suspect’s motives, there is nagging concern over new breed of jihadists inspired by Isis extremism

        And here on ‘ts’ and for some reason completely beyond me, the headline post at the moment “The Sydney Siege Finishes” has been categorised under ‘war’ and ‘Syria’.

        • Tracey 1.1.1.1

          outrage that hager might make money from his book but the media drooling over this for ratings and money is okee dokee

        • spades' A spade 1.1.1.2

          It probably is correct to place such a post under the ‘war’ and ‘Syria’ category for the fact that the news outlets and authorities were spinning it in that direction. The news outlets and authorities caused it to be a ‘war’ and ‘syria’ topic purely through the speculation and/or propaganda that was spewed out. I think it is important for people to be able to find that post under that section so they can see how the authorities in the modern (western) world operate in linking a big group of people to a crime carried out by an individual.

          I wouldn’t be surprised if the authorities are not finished in trying to connect this directly to IS.

        • saveNZ 1.1.1.3

          Totally right. The word ‘terror’ and ‘terrorist’ turn people into salivating zombies, the most inappropriately used words from the past 10 years.

      • Tracey 1.1.2

        i just heard Key say that the 30 or 40 he named in his speech are like this guy…

        that means we just passed laws against the mentally ill

        • emergency mike 1.1.2.1

          “that means we just passed laws against the mentally ill”

          Time to revisit Foucault,

          “Moreover, he argued that the alleged scientific neutrality of modern medical treatments of insanity is in fact a cover for controlling challenges to a conventional bourgeois morality. ”

          “He further argues that the new mode of punishment becomes the model for control of an entire society, with factories, hospitals, and schools modelled on the modern prison.

          To a great extent, control over people (power) can be achieved merely by observing them.”

          • Tracey 1.1.2.1.1

            i should have been clearer… we passed laws to spy on the mentally ill rather than treat them.

            • emergency mike 1.1.2.1.1.1

              I didn’t mean any kind of correction to you Tracey, what you wrote made me think of Foucault is all. As in stomping on the mentally ill to protect the bourgeois status quo from any challenges.

              • Tracey

                No worries Mike, I got what you were meaning having read some Foucault in my time but it made me think my comment may have been misleading.

                • Sacha

                  “control over people (power) can be achieved merely by observing them”

                  I had forgotten that line, thanks. Great writer.

        • tinfoilhat 1.1.2.2

          Has there been some clarification on whether he had mental health issues ?

          • Tracey 1.1.2.2.1

            No, but then it hasn’t been as widely discussed as his being an ISIS brain washing victim.

            It’s interesting to see those who default to

            1. terrorist; or
            2. mentally ill; or
            3. Violent bastard

            I plumped for mentally ill

            • The Al1en 1.1.2.2.1.1

              I haven’t seen lone wolf terrorist mentioned yet, but then I haven’t looked too hard for fear of all the jerked knees, left and right, poking one of my eyes out.

              http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_wolf_%28terrorism%29

              And perhaps there should be an option 4 on your list – All of the above.

              • Tracey

                His alleged murder of his wife and over 40 sexual charges don’t seem to have been as a lone wolf terrorist, or as any terrorist.

                he is not the first person who has finally had his life of fakery and shame and crime catch up with him decide to go out in what they consider a blaze of glory but in my mind, that doesn’t make him a terrorist, just cos he had part of the Saudi flag with him.

                To my untrained ye most terrorist acts are done by people who go out of their way to be secretive until they commmit the act, not parade themselves in front of authorities for years first.

                • The Al1en

                  I don’t think previous history has much relevance when profiling lone wolf terrorists as anyone can turn, criminals or grade a students.
                  I’m not saying this guy was a wolfie, but it’s a legitimate scenario with many previous examples on record, so proper to proffer it.

                • emergency mike

                  My thoughts too. A guy who loses his rag and goes full fruit loop with a gun a la David Gray isn’t a terrorist. He’s just a guy who’s lost the plot. It doesn’t matter what cause or flag he thinks he’s waving.

                  Having said that, it’s notoriously difficult to define terrorism. Mostly because whatever definition you come up with, Western powers have been doing it with bells on in the Middle East.

                  But the point is that we don’t really need to define it. Attacks like this are simply criminal acts. We already have laws against them. More spy powers isn’t going to do anything to stop other people like this.

                  Quit shitting on Middle Eastern countries could be the way to go imo.

                  • Tracey

                    agree and having it hard to define plays into the hands of the hysterics. people are never easier to manipulate than when scared.

            • tinfoilhat 1.1.2.2.1.2

              “I plumped for mentally ill”

              I think we all struggle to find a reason why anyone would do such things, probably because they vast majority of us can never imagine going there ourselves.

              • Tracey

                and because some very seriously mentally unwell people who dont get help have committed some murder and violence in the past.

          • Anne 1.1.2.2.2

            For god’s sake tinfoilhat the media has been full of his past. It seems he was in one of those notorious Australian detention centres and we all know (or should know) that many of those refugees ended up seriously damaged for life. So, you could say… Australia was instrumental in producing this disturbed individual in the first place.

            He was a profoundly deranged person who, as Dr Paul Buchanan puts it, cloaked himself as an apparent extremist.

            http://www.radionz.co.nz/audio/player/20161223

            • tinfoilhat 1.1.2.2.2.1

              ‘..it seems……’

              ‘..we all know……’

              ‘… so you could say…..’

              Yes there’s a lot of that going about at the moment Anne.

  2. Bill 2

    And still Radio NZ is giving uncritical airtime to that twat Abbot wanking on about how the gunman had (paraphrasing) “a symbol of the ISIS death cult”…

    Now, as far as I can figure, something along the lines of ‘Allah is the one god and Muhammad is his prophet’ is benign and a widely used slogan within Islam.

    Meanwhile, a quick google search confirms that ‘all’ major news outlets are running apologist lines to the effect that Man Haron Monis was kinda sorta almost a terrorist and the only reason he wasn’t actually one is because of the small and to be quietly brushed over detail, that he didn’t actually belong to any terrorist organisation…

    The fuckers peddled hype and lies that have only served to permit a ramping up of anti-Islamic sentiment and bullshit by bigots. That they are thus far refusing to acknowledge their part in this particularly rancid piece of propaganda is, at best, disturbing.

    • emergency mike 2.1

      “While this was the work of a disturbed individual, Islamic State was also running an outreach campaign trying to tap into such people, he said.

      The Prime Minister said the holding up of an Islamic flag in the Lindt cafe in Sydney made it feel like ISIS (Islamic State) was the driving force behind what happened.”

      That’s on the RNZ site.

      I realise that they then printed a comment from Grant Robertson about how Key is conflating issues, but hey RNZ let me show you how to rephrase that in a less arse-licking spin-repeating way:

      While this was the work of a disturbed individual, Islamic State was also running an outreach campaign trying to tap into such people, he said. When pressed for evidence of this claim, Mr Key made a lame joke about how Andrew Little might be a terrorist because he ‘looks bit angry’. He then said that ‘Labour made stuff up too’. He really is a dick.

      The Prime Minister said the holding up of an Islamic flag in the Lindt cafe in Sydney made it feel like ISIS (Islamic State) was the driving force behind what happened. However he became confused and looked like a dick when asked if he thought that Islamic symbols were exclusively used by ISIS, or whether they are actually quite common in the Islamic world. “Look, I didn’t have that feeling in my capacity as Prime Minister.” It was pretty embarrassing slippery shit.

      You’re welcome.

      • Corokia 2.1.1

        Is there a link to where Key said ” Andrew Little might be a terrorist because he ‘looks bit angry’?
        If that was on record Key should be confronted on that. It looks like he is up and running with the Nats latest spin on Little and he’s such a lowlife that he’ll never let a chance go by to slur his political opponents, even trying to link them to the murderous acts of a madman.

        • emergency mike 2.1.1.1

          No Corokia, I made that bit up as a joke. The first part of my comment is the actual quote from the article. I did say, “hey RNZ let me show you how to rephrase that”. Sorry if I wasn’t clear.

          Just annoyed that RNZ didn’t bother to call Key out on that crap.

    • …something along the lines of ‘Allah is the one god and Muhammad is his prophet’ is benign and a widely used slogan within Islam.

      “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet.” It’s not a widely-used slogan, it’s the shahada, the declaration of Islam. It’s the declaration flown on the flag of Saudi Arabia, because it’s a symbol of Muslim ideology, much as nazi germany had a swastika on theirs and the Soviet Union a hammer and sickle on theirs. It’s also featured on the ISIS flag, for the same reason. If any violent nutbars don’t want government officials saying they’re carrying a “symbol of the ISIS death cult,” I suggest not carrying a black flag with the shahada on it.

      • Bill 2.2.1

        It’s not a widely-used slogan, it’s the shahada…

        …that’s been reproduced on coins and walls and whatever since…well, a long time back. In other words, fairly widespread.

        btw. You trying to claim with your swastika reference that Nazis were adherents to Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism?

        • Psycho Milt 2.2.1.1

          Yes, much like the swastika, the red star and the hammer-and-sickle. It’s a symbol of an ideology. What purpose do you imagine that particular symbol had at this event?

          • Bill 2.2.1.1.1

            Any chance of you writing in complete sentences and being coherent?

            • Psycho Milt 2.2.1.1.1.1

              My comment appears incoherent because you added to yours while I was typing it. Apologies, I should have noticed the update.

              btw. You trying to claim with your swastika reference that Nazis were adherents to Hinduism, Buddhism or Jainism?

              See, this is the kind of sophistry you have to resort to when trying to pretend there’s no political dimension to this guy displaying the shahada at his hostage party. You end up quibbling about whether the swastika is a fascist symbol or not.

              • Colonial Rawshark

                The guy showed the shahada because he knew the media would be all over it and the eyes of the world would be focussed on him, for once. That’s not political; that’s narcisstic, deluded or just plain confused.

                The MSM and the security state politicians have been breeding this kind of over-hyped over-reaction for a long time now. Waiting for a chance to justify their own entrenched positions.

                • The guy showed the shahada because he knew the media would be all over it and the eyes of the world would be focussed on him, for once.

                  Asked him, did you?

                  • One Anonymous Bloke

                    Did you?

                    Hoist, meet petard. Run up some other flagpole.

                    • I didn’t need to. He helpfully made a bunch of declarations and hoisted a flag. This may come as a shock, but flags serve a purpose.

                    • One Anonymous Bloke

                      CR’s interpretation is at least as likely as yours.

                      What “political dimension” do you attach to the violent actions of a violent man facing prison?

                      It emerges that the gun went off as someone grabbed it. What political dimension can we ascribe to that?

          • One Anonymous Bloke 2.2.1.1.2

            Yes, let’s pretend that assigning ‘purpose’ to the actions of a deranged criminal hostage taker isn’t projecting much.

          • Tracey 2.2.1.1.3

            to get attention, and you have fallen, hook line and sinker.

      • Tracey 2.2.2

        and

        In God we trust

        or
        God save the Queen

        or prayers in parliament.

        Are you saying the Saudis are carrying a symbol of the isis death cult” when they go tot he Olympic Games?

        • Psycho Milt 2.2.2.1

          Are you saying the Saudis are carrying a symbol of the isis death cult” when they go tot he Olympic Games?

          Last time I looked, the Saudi flag was green, so hardly likely to be mistaken for the ISIS one, but it does carry the shahada on it for the express purpose of declaring Saudi Arabia beholden to a particular ideology. The one this particular nutter put up was a generic Jihadi one, not the particular one ISIS uses, but it’s hardly surprising your average Aussie doesn’t know the difference.

          • Tracey 2.2.2.1.1

            it was not an isis flag… no matter how much you say it and that it is not counts as much against your argument as being like it counts for you. a genuinely ideologically driven jihadist would probably have a symbol which accurately reflects his ideology rather than just what came to hand on the way to the cafe.

            • Psycho Milt 2.2.2.1.1.1

              it was not an isis flag… no matter how much you say it…

              I haven’t said it was an ISIS flag. I’ve said “If any violent nutbars don’t want government officials saying they’re carrying a “symbol of the ISIS death cult,” I suggest not carrying a black flag with the shahada on it.” That still seems to me to be sound advice.

              a genuinely ideologically driven jihadist would probably have a symbol which accurately reflects his ideology…

              A black flag with the shahada on it is a Jihadi flag, so probably did accurately reflect this guy’s ideology.

        • Murray Rawshark 2.2.2.2

          “Are you saying the Saudis are carrying a symbol of the isis death cult” when they go tot he Olympic Games?”

          There’s probably some truth to that, Tracey. I think the House of Saud has quite a role in backing ISIL.

      • How about the flag of the United Kingdom, which bears not one but three symbols of an organised religion which celebrates death and self-sacrifice. Two of the symbols are used explicitly to honour victory in battle granted by their god!

        *clutches pearls*

    • Anne 2.3

      Haron Monis was kinda sorta almost a terrorist and the only reason he wasn’t actually one is because of the small and to be quietly brushed over detail, that he didn’t actually belong to any terrorist organisation…

      And he was holding a Shiite flag when apparently he was a Sunne – or was it the other way around. Whatever,that was bit strange for starters.

  3. Marksman33 3

    I am fucking appalled at the hype of this hostage drama. The media has blown this so far out of proportion to absolve themselves for their support for the GCSB fiasco. I lost count of how many times Muppet Ryan tried to get someone anyone to say that this nutter was part of IS, on 9 to Noon this morning. Fucking unbelievable.

  4. Nick K 4

    There *could* be a connection, but its more like the connection between violent behaviour and violent video games.

    People with certain mental disorders who have violent thoughts are looking for ways or reasons to attach their actions to something. If they don’t have one thing they have something else, and if it aligns with things that are making the news already then it’ll get more media hype.

    In this case he was certainly trying to associate himself with ISIS or other Islamic extremists when actually he was a sexual abuser from a cult he made up himself.

    Meanwhile in America some things are just the same old tragic news without any connection to terrorism (yet).

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/64190542/six-dead-suspect-on-loose-in-us

    • Tracey 4.1

      Nick

      It is looking more and more like he is a very violent man who craved attention from his magical healing and self professed muslim leader to his barrage of letter writing and radio calls and used the ISIS thing to get the attention he craved. He may be violent and deranged but if that turns out to have been his motivation he has played the media like fiddles.

      His wife was burned to death…

      “Monis was on bail on a charge of colluding with his girlfriend, Amirah Droudis, to murder Noleen Hayson Pal.

      Ms Pal was lured to the Werrington apartment block in western Sydney where Monis was living in April last year and allegedly doused with accelerant, set alight and then stabbed 18 times by Droudis.”

      Interestingly no one has suggested the murder is connected to ISIS.

      “40 sexual assault charges.

      Additional charges were laid against Monis two months ago, and conviction for sexual assault would have ruined Monis, who was outed as a bogus Islamic cleric by Australian Shia scholars in 2009.”

      No one has suggested a link to ISIS for these crimes either

      Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2874295/Police-investigate-Sydney-siege-gunman-calling-Brother-lone-wolf-fanatic-wider-terror-network.html#ixzz3M1Kbu5xh

      The police on the other hand appear to have handled it as a gunman holding innocent people hostage.

  5. Iron Sky 5

    The likelihood you will loose life years as a consequence of bullshit Nanny Nat Economic decisions = Extreme. There is a GAP between how much money you earn and your life expectancy (it sucks being poor)

    The likelihood you will die of a Terror attack in NZ, make up your own mind (not saying past = future but) see belwo

    Oh, just aside I thought Guyon on RNZ was going to shit himself we sounded so excited.

    KNOW YOUR RISK: 6 Reported events relating to “Terrorism” in NZ

    Acts of terrorism[edit]
    There is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism but in New Zealand it is defined by the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.

    Rail bridge bombing 1951waterfront dispute a rail bridge was blown up near Huntly.

    Wanganui Computer Centre bombingi. The attacker, a “punk rock” anarchist named Neil Roberts, was the only person killed, and the computer system was undamaged.

    Wellington Trades Hall bombing[edit] 1984, a suitcase bomb was left in the foyer of the Trades Hall in Wellington.Ernie Abbott, the building’s caretaker, was killed

    Rainbow Warrior bombing[edit]
    Fernando Pereira, was drowned when he returned to the vessel to retrieve his cameras, just before it sank.

    2007 anti-terror raids[edit] Although the search warrants used indicated that terrorism related offense were involved, no charges were even laid under the 2002 Terrorism Suppression Act –

  6. Iron Sky 6

    News Flash: Terrorists activate Project: Benign Death

    Realizing statistically, they have not a sweet chance in hell of hurting that many people their analysts have realized a cunning plan. They have worked out that statistically you are more extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely significantly more likely to die dancing or playing table games.

    Their cunning plan……….. wait for it, wait for it………

    To train Jihadists in the black arts of event management.

    Yes, that’s correct folks, death by Black Ops Event Management Squads (BOEMs).

    In addition, they have worked out that by combing certain events, their kill rates will be higher. There cunning plan is to organise DEATH Dance Table Game events all across NZ. Just see the stats:

    Dance parties: 1 in 100,000 chance of dying
    Table games: 1 in 100 million chance of dying
    http://www.besthealthdegrees.com/health-risks/

    KNOW YOUR RISK

    There next “JOB” will be to infiltrate the National Party to study the fine arts of DEATH by ECOMONICS. This is the Pièce de résistance for any terrorist organisation, control the money supply.

  7. Iron Sky 7

    KNOW YOUR RISK:

    Exert taken from:

    http://www.besthealthdegrees.com/health-risks/

    Your Chances of Dying

    The National Center for Health Statistics reports the average life expectancy in the United States is 77.9 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the leading causes of death in the United States are (in descending order) heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases, accidents, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes. (ref: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm)

    There are so many ways to die early; from risky outdoor activities to smoking. At Best Health Degrees we decided to take a look at just how much you increase your chances of dying through these activities. Life after all is one big series of risks. And some risks are worth the shot. One study shows people have a 1 in 100,000 chance of dying while attending a dance party. Another study shows the odds of dying while skydiving in the United States is 1 in 101,083 jumps. What follows is a list of activities, from the ordinary to the extraordinary, and your chances of dying from them.

    Sports and Recreational Activities

    Overall, snow boarding fatality rate: 0.455 per million participant visits. (Source: Shealy, Ettlinger and Johnson )

    Overall, skiing fatality rate: 0.702 per million participant visits. (Source: Shealy, Ettlinger and Johnson)

    Long distance cross-country ski races in Sweden mortality rate: 0.11 per million1 (Source: Postgraduate Medical Journal)

    Skiing at downhill ski resorts in Utah: 2.46 deaths per million exposure days. (Source: Postgraduate Medical Journal)

    The mortality rate for specific activities undertaken in the United States:

    Mountaineering Mortality rate: 0.5988 (/100 participants)
    Hang gliding Mortality rate 0.1786 (/100 participants)
    Parachuting Mortality rate: 0.1754 (/100 participants)
    Boxing Mortality rate: 0.0455 (/100 participants)
    Mountain hiking Mortality rate: 0.0064 (/100 participants)
    Scuba diving Mortality rate: 0.0029 (/100 participants)
    American football Mortality rate: 0.0020 (/100 participants)
    (Source: Postgraduate Medical Journal)
    The Risk of Hiking and Mountain Climbing

    Expert mountain climbers: Annual mortality risk of 1 in 167.

    Recreational climbing – Annual mortality risk of 1 in 1,750.

    Mountain hiking – Annual mortality risk of 1 in 15,700.

    (Source for all three activities: Russell Newcombe & Sally Woods Centre for Applied Psychology, School of Human Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Henry Cotton Campus, Webster St., Liverpool, L3 2ET, England )

    Regarding Yosemite trad climbing, the chances of dying when climbing actively every third weekend for two days for a year are: 35 days/year x 2.5 deaths/year / 37,500 climber-days/year or 1/429 (John Dill, article about death and injury in Yosemite 1970 through 1990).

    The mortality rates among trekkers in Nepal during two periods between 1984 and 1991: 0.014 and 0.015 per 100 trekkers.

    On Denali, the highest mountain in Alaska: 0.308 deaths for every 100 mountaineers who register with the National Park Service.

    On Mt. Rainier: Estimated mortality rate of approximately 0.031 per 100 mountaineers.

    Climbing above 6000 m in the Himalayas: 10 to 12.6 deaths for every 100 mountaineers.

    (Source for all five activities: Postgraduate Medical Journal)

    Mortality rate while mountaineering in Mt McKinley National Park, United States: 100 per 1,000,000 exposure days (Source: Postgraduate Medical Journal)

    BASE jumping is one of the world’s most dangerous recreational activities, with overall fatalities in 2002 estimated at approximately one fatality per sixty participants (Source). With base jumping, a person jumps with a parachute from a fixed object.

    Annual mortality risk (AMR)

    Grand Prix racing: 1 in 100
    Motorbike racing: 1 in 1,000
    Canoeing: 1 in 10,000
    Soccer & rugby: 1 in 100,000
    Running/jogging: 1 in 1 million
    Swimming: 1 in 1 million
    (Source for all seven activities: Russell Newcombe & Sally Woods Centre for Applied Psychology, School of Human Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Henry Cotton Campus, Webster St., Liverpool, L3 2ET, England )
    Bicycling death rate: 7.1 deaths per one million participants (National Safety Council)

    Odds of dying while skydiving in the United States: 1 in 101,083 jumps. (Source)

    Odds of dying while bungee jumping: About two in one million chances of death. (Source).

    The risk of sudden death during a marathon: 0.8 per 100,000 people. (Source).

    The risk of sudden death while participating in a triathlon: 1.5 in 100,000. (Source).

    Odds of dying while playing high school or college football: 1 in 59 million ( Harvard School of Public Health).

    The Risks of Transportation

    Risk of dying in a car accident: 1 in 6,700 (Harvard School of Public Health)

    Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled: 1.14

    Fatalities per 100,000 population: 11.01

    Fatalities per 100,000 Licensed Drivers: 16.13

    Motorcycles: Fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled: 21.45

    (National Highway traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 2009))

    U.S. general aviation fatalities: 447; flight hours: 20,900,000 (National Transportation safety board 2010).

    U.S. general aviation: Fatal accidents per 100,000 Flight Hours 1.27 (National Transportation safety board 2010).

    Airliner (Scheduled and nonscheduled Part 21) fatalities per million flight hours: 4.03

    Commuter Airline (Scheduled Part 135) Fatalities per million flight hours: 10.74

    Commuter plane (Nonscheduled Part 135 – Air taxi on demand) fatalities per million flight hours: 12.24

    General aviation (Private Part 91) fatalities per million flight hours: 22.43

    (Sources: NTSB Accidents and Accident Rates by NTSB Classification 1998 – 2007)

    Men who smoke are 22 times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers. Women who smoke are 12 times more likely to die from the disease. Smoking triples the risk of dying from heart disease among middle-aged men and women. People who smoke increase their risk of death from emphysema and bronchitis by almost 10 times.

    (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

    Lifelong smokers on average have a 50 percent chance of dying from tobacco-related illnesses, with half of them dying before the age of 70. Studies show cigar smokers have 4-10 times the risk of nonsmokers of dying from laryngeal, oral, or esophageal cancers.

    (Source: Oral Cancer Foundation)

    People who had a medium number of years lived with obesity (between five years and 14.9 years), the risk of mortality more than doubled than for people who had never been obese. The risk of mortality almost tripled for those with the longest duration of obesity (more than 15 years) (Source: Monash University researchers )

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    21 hours ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    1 day ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    1 day ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    2 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    3 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    3 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    5 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    5 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    6 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    6 days ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    7 days ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    1 week ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    1 week ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    1 week ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    1 week ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    1 week ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    1 week ago

  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
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  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
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    5 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
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    5 days ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
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    5 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
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    6 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
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  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
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    6 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
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    6 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
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    6 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
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    6 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
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    7 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
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    7 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
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    7 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
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    7 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
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    1 week ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
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    1 week ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
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    1 week ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
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  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
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    1 week ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
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    1 week ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
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    1 week ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
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    1 week ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
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    1 week ago
  • Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...
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    1 week ago

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