Paora Goldsmith, Māori history and identity politics

Written By: - Date published: 9:36 am, February 4th, 2021 - 73 comments
Categories: education, history, paul goldsmith, racism - Tags:

Holy hell.

Does anyone in National Party land vet their MP’s media?

Because they are coming out with the most outlandishly stupid stuff.

Like Paora Goldsmith who thinks that as part of New Zealand history our kids should be educated about how Smith and Caugheys developed their business model, rather than how the Treaty of Waitangi and the subsequent egregious breaches are fundamental parts of our history that have shaped Aotearoa New Zealand society.

From Simon Collins at the Herald:

New Zealand’s first draft plan to teach our own history in schools has been slammed as “unbalanced” by the Opposition National Party.

The long-awaited draft curriculum for what are called “Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories” is structured around just three “big ideas” – all about Māori and colonisation. They are:

  • “Māori history is the foundational and continuous history of Aotearoa New Zealand.”
  • “Colonisation and its consequences have been central to our history for the past 200 years and continues to influence all aspects of Aotearoa NZ society.”
  • “Aotearoa NZ’s history has been shaped by the exercise and effects of power.”

The last idea is explained more fully as: “Individuals, groups and organisations have exerted and contested power in ways that have improved the lives of people and communities, and in ways that have led to damage, injustice and conflict.

“Ideologies and beliefs, from within and beyond Aotearoa NZ, underpin expressions of power and resistance and insisting on rights and identity.”

But National’s education spokesman Paul Goldsmith, who has written several books on NZ business and economic history, immediately attacked the first draft as “lacking in balance and needs revision”.

“The themes are mainly about identity and identity politics. That’s part of the story – but there are other elements to New Zealand’s history,” he said.

“How did we make a living as a country? How, in such a short space of time, did we attain one of the highest living standards in the world?

“Those basic questions don’t feature prominently. They deserve much more than a passing reference.

“New Zealand is also one the oldest democracies in the world, with strong traditions of freedom and the rule of law – which is rare in this world. How did those institutions develop? Again, this is not a central theme,” Goldsmith said.

“History is always contested. I encourage all New Zealanders to look at the proposals and submit on them.”

Paora misses the point.  Breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, particularly in relation to land, allowed for the establishment of New Zealand’s farming sector which along with the extraction industries has allowed for our economy to form.  So the curriculum actually focuses on the central reason that our standard of living was so high, at least for some.

When you look at Paora’s bibliography you can see what he is fascinated by.  Alongside the books about John Banks and Don Brash he has written about Fletchers, the Myers family, a history of tax in Aotearoa, Alan Gibbs and William Gallagher.  Maybe he is hoping that a change in the curriculum to focus on business will mean that his books will become more popular.

And understanding the development of our democracy is assisted by understanding colonisation and its effects.  Basically we implemented an English system of Parliamentary rule but as time has passed and affected in no small way by Te Ao Māori our system has developed and progressed.

My initial reaction was that Paora was engaging in some good old racist dog whistling.  But having a look at what he has written about he is actually obsessed with how business has developed in New Zealand.  And thinks that it is the most important part of our history.

73 comments on “Paora Goldsmith, Māori history and identity politics ”

  1. Barfly 1

    word missing in final sentence between – most…………part

    [Oops thanks. Now corrected – MS]

  2. Enough is Enough 2

    To be fair I think you have misrepresented what Goldsmith is saying. He hasn't said the topics in the draft proposal should not be taught. He has not said that the Treaty and its history should not be taught.

    What he has said, is the curriculum should be broader. And I agree with him on that point.

    For example, it is impossible to understand modern New Zealand without studying the destruction that was brought on society by the reforms of the 4th Labour government, and the reasons why those reforms have been retained by all subsequent governments. What those reforms were, and why they were brought in, should be taught.

    Then you rewind from that to what our welfare state was and why it was created by the first Labour government. That is as equally important in understanding modern New Zealand.

    Goldsmith isn't rejecting the current proposals. He is suggesting we should be a bit broader which I think is a good thing.

    • Roy Cartland 2.1

      Kind of like in a "Blacks Lives Matter" / "All Lives Matter" sense?

    • woodart 2.2

      yes, good point enough is etc, recent history should be taught, i.e. the cost of deregulation in the housing sector in the nineties should be constantly thrown in the faces of goldsmith and his ilk. the dismantling of the welfare state and its resulting effect on the growing wealth and health gap, should also be in the curriculum. along with the effect on our water quality after intensive dairying.

    • Rae 2.3

      Yes, he said the curriculum should be broader, then all he could come up with to broaden it was "economy".

  3. Stuart Munro 3

    My grandfather was seven when he got his first flax cutting contract – there is quite a lot to be learned about how wealth was created, and how NZ was able to prosper – replete with lessons that, given Treasury's manifest inadequacy and the craven clinging to the failed mysticisms of Rogergnomics, NZ could really use. But Goldsmith is hardly an objective scholar in such an enterprise.

    I expect that colonial seizures correlated with as often as they caused relative prosperity – but the colonial governments certainly wrecked havoc on Maori attempts at monied enterprise, a form of oligarchic corruption that continues to this day in the corruption of entities like Southern Response, albeit along less racially defined grounds.

  4. Tricledrown 4

    Maori had successful businesses before the land wars they were very successful until confiscation and illegal sales by European settlers.

    Maori were exporting food to NSW and California as early European settlers were mainly City folk and didn't know how to farm or fish. Had Maori been allowed to continue farming and fishing businesses we would see Maori on the upper income scale as opposed to what has happened as disenfranchised ground down impoverished people who have the worst health,housing and wealth disparities.

    Goldsmith is parroting the white superiority ie Don Maori bash,Banks despicable denigrating Maori .While National want to win votes in the Maori electorates.

    Goldsmith forgets that none of his rich list heros would have made it but for the massive illegal land grab .

    • Gosman 4.1

      Some Iwi were very successful at developing their local economy and made lots of money supplying European urban settlements both here and in Australia from the mid 1830's to the 1860's . However they were not at the forefront of developing the pastoral economy that eventually formed the backbone of the NZ economy from the late 19th Century onwards as that required far more capital intensive methods of production. The fundamental problem with the Maori economy remains the same as it today. How to release the capital tied up in the land to fund development while still maintaining collective ownership over the land.

      • sam green 4.1.1

        Agree about the capital (then) but there are (now) plenty of hugely successful kiwifruit blocks in collective ownership, among other types of production.

      • left_forward 4.1.2

        The fundamental problem for NZ economy remains the same today – the colonialist's mechanistic worldview that land is a thing apart from nature – a tradeable commodity that can be owned and exploited. An unhelpful idea imposed by the newcomers upon tangata whenua and in breach of their Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitment to uphold Tino Rangatiratanga.

        • Gosman 4.1.2.1

          It is not unhelpful. The concept or property rights over land (and other things) has formed the driver for the modern capitalist economy. You might want to change that but people like me will oppose you as much as we can given the benefits we see that come from that approach.

          • left_forward 4.1.2.1.1

            NZers including yourself Gosman, through education, might begin to appreciate different historical experiences – developing understanding and appreciation of the experience of tangata whenua for example.

            Describing the land division and the related confiscation of Maori land as not unhelpful, reveals the limited scope of your understanding. I was referring to it being unhelpful to tangata whenua – it was obviously of benefit to those that stole the land!

            This being Waitangi Day, it is an appropriate time for you to contemplate how such a narrow view of history contributes to Maori inequity in Aotearoa today.

            Nga mihi mahana ki a koe.

        • Gosman 4.1.2.2

          How can private property rights over land be in breach of the Treaty when a specific article was written that essentially codified that as a principle?

          • Macro 4.1.2.2.1

            You know as well as anyone (or maybe you refuse to recognise it) that it was the abuse of that specific article by successive governments that is the subject of the grievance. It was blatant theft, and, in essence, a breach of The Treaty.

      • Patricia Bremner 4.1.3

        We have to own the different laws which disadvantaged Maori and empowered Settlers. Ownership building laws for instance.

      • Molly 4.1.4

        Local iwi were exporting produce, and assisted settlers before their land was confiscated, and distrbuted amongst those same settler families.

        I would expect that this situation was likely repeated in other rohe throughout NZ.

      • Tricledrown 4.1.5

        Gosman pastoral farming needed land without that land no business.

        To say multiple ownership and capital investment would have prevented Maori succeeding when they already had proven they could innovate and develop modern farming techniques ie in the Waikato with steel plows horses etc. Gosman your argument doesn't stack up.

        Running sheep on large tracts of land doesn't require massive investment but if Maori had still owned that land they would have benefited.

        Those pastoral lands were owned by a few wealthy aristocrats up until the 1890's when they were broken up by a left wing govt.Why because there wasn't much economic benefit to NZ.Employing a few slave waged workers and having vast stations that were poorly managed .so no economic benefit till refridgeration.

        King Dick saw the future of having smaller well managed farms providing more money to more people would help our economy develop.

        Refridgeration was the key to the expansion and profitability of pastoral farming that didn't happen till after most of Maori had lost theirs land and economic power with it.

        NZs economy was more dependent on gold mining until the mid 1870's.after gold ran out gold NZ's economy stayed largely in recession till King Dick started the welfare state ,Women got the vote ,state houses started to be built free primary education a pension for the elderly.all pushed by trade unions made more people well off expanding New Zealands economic base.

        Gosman so having multiple shareholders in a company you would think given your propaganda on multiple ownership pertaining to Maori would hinder all other multiple ownership models.yet now Maori are benefiting from a return of 1 to 3% of their economic base the other 97% remain uncompensated for if it was returned to Maori they would not be continually trashed by racist rednecks like you Gosman ,if Maori had kept their economic base from the 1840's the 97% not returned land stolen or confiscated Maori would be owning most of the wealthy upmarket suburbs and not a the bottom of every economic ladder.

        White supremacist colonial attitudes by dreary dinosaurs ie Banks Brash and Gosman.

        National will struggle to get any votes in the Maori electorates.

        • RedLogix 4.1.5.1

          racist rednecks like you Gosman

          It's abusive language like this which shames the left.

        • Gosman 4.1.5.2

          The areas of the country where the concentration of Maori land is the greatest today also coincide with some of the areas of the country with greatest amount of poverty. Part of the reasons is the land use is not as productive in these areas as others. There have been investigations on the causes of this and how to resolve it. As this press release from Shane Jones following one of these investigations highlights there is a problem with accessing sufficient capital to develop the land and that is what they are trying to make it easier for Iwi to do.

          "The Whenua Māori allocation assists Māori with access to financial capital which remains a challenge for landowners as the special status of their land means commercial banks are less willing to lend to them…"

          https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/enhancing-productivity-whenua-m%C4%81ori

          • Tricledrown 4.1.5.2.1

            Maori were left with the least productive land.

            And a system that denies Maori access to Capital because the banks can't sell the land to recover debt.

      • Tricledrown 4.1.6

        Gosman your full of it considering Maori were left with the least productive land and denied finances by European controlled banks.As well as legal hurdles set by Europeans.

        Also denied proper voting rights as most Maori were landowners the only NZ citizens allowed to vote at that time.Europeans made sure by voter suppression and only allowing 2 seats in parliament representing Maori as Maori couldn't read English European legislatures made sure they always held the upper hand.

  5. Gosman 5

    "Breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi, particularly in relation to land, allowed for the establishment of New Zealand’s farming sector which along with the extraction industries has allowed for our economy to form.

    So the curriculum actually focuses on the central reason that our standard of living was so high, at least for some."

    Not really.. While the confiscation of land in the Waikato and to a lesser extent Taranaki allowed the European farming sector to flourish in those places and gave a boost to Auckland the economic focal point of NZ for much of the 19th Century was much further to the South. Much of the Banking infrastructure was driven by the gold rushes in the Southern parts of NZ for example.

    The idea that British/NZ European and Maori interaction and conflict was the main driver behind the development of NZ is placing too greater weight on that element of NZ History. NZ did not become a wealthy nation because Europeans took all the land from Maori.

    • Tricledrown 5.1

      Gosman your 1950's white washed Version of NZ history is a cop out.

      Pastoral farming was barely profitable if Not for Maori farming settlers would have starved in NZ and NSW,European settlers took advantage of Maori lack of knowledge of the rights conferred as British citizens as very few Maori could speak English let alone read and write and had no lawyers representing them in the land transactions till the church's intervention in the mid 1880's they demanded when it was to late.

      That's what caused the wars greedy double dealing land agents etc.

      • Gosman 5.1.1

        Pastoral farming became extremely profitable after the 1850's. That is why it came to dominate the NZ farming sector.

    • Roy Cartland 5.2

      NZ did not become a wealthy nation because Europeans took all the land from Maori.

      Can you clarify – do you mean:

      "Because Europeans took all the land from Maori, NZ did not become a wealthy nation."

      or

      "NZ became a wealthy nation, but not because Europeans took all the land from Maori."

      or

      "Europeans didn’t take all the land, yet NZ became wealthy."

      • Gosman 5.2.1

        The last point is probably the most appropriate to the point I was trying to make. My apologies for the confusion.

        There was large scale land confiscation of Maori land (mainly in the 1860's) however the economic development of NZ did not rely on THAT land confiscation. Also confiscated land was not how the majority of Maori land fell in to European hands. This was still achieved via sales. Some of these sales were seriously flawed but many were quite legitimate.

        • Brigid 5.2.1.1

          "Also confiscated land was not how the majority of Maori land fell in to European hands. This was still achieved via sales. Some of these sales were seriously flawed but many were quite legitimate."

          If you're going to make this claim you really need to provide some evidence. Which of course you wont, because there is none.

          Meanwhile read a few books on the New Zealand Settlements Act 1863

          "Under the New Zealand Settlements Act, Waikato lost almost all their land and Ngāti Hauā about a third of theirs. But kūpapa (pro-government or neutral) Māori also lost land as the yardstick rapidly changed from guilt to convenience. Ngāti Maniapoto territory still under Kīngitanga control was untouched. In the long term, Taranaki Māori suffered most from confiscation in terms of land actually occupied."

          https://nzhistory.govt.nz/the-new-zealand-settlements-act-passed

          Where is the most profitable long established pastoral land? Waikato and Taranaki

          • Gosman 5.2.1.1.1

            The land is very profitable from a pastoral point of view now especially in regard to Dairying. However the early development of NZ was less focused on Dairying and more focused on meet and wool production. The areas that were the drivers of this were much more in the South.

            • DS 5.2.1.1.1.1

              In Taranaki, fungus exports to China (yes, really) were a major driver behind the development of late nineteenth century dairying… with the bloke responsible being an ingenious Chinese bloke called Chew Chong. New Zealand Economic History is indeed a fascinating thing.

          • Gosman 5.2.1.1.2

            Here is the map of the main areas of land that was confiscated. Some of the land that was taken was returned in the years after it was confiscated. what should be clear is that it is only a small proportion of the total land area. Purchases by the Crown was by far the major factor in transferring Maori land in to private non-Maori hands.

            https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/28137/land-confiscation-map

            • Brigid 5.2.1.1.2.1

              "Some of the land that was taken was returned in the years after it was confiscated. "

              Which land? Where? When?

              Enough with the effing bullshit

        • Muttonbird 5.2.1.2

          With every comment you make on this thread you seem to contradict yourself.

          • Gosman 5.2.1.2.1

            In what way have I contradicted myself?

            • Muttonbird 5.2.1.2.1.1

              There was large scale land confiscation of Maori land.

              And,

              …land that was confiscated. What should be clear is that it is only a small proportion of the total land area.

              That is just one example.

    • Tricledrown 5.3

      Gosman as usual you are misleading in that European took all the land.

      With out the land Europeans would not have gained the wealth they knew would be gained acquiring cheap land by fair means or fowl.

      Today you would be prosecuted for fraud or insider trading..Taking advantage of fellow humans who didn't understand the Anglo Saxon way of doing business .

      Keeping Maori poor and disenfranchised so they don't take land disputes through courts or keeping the Majority (Maori were the majority of voters up until the 1870's) from representing themselves in parliament they would have had the political power to stop Europeans from conning them out of there economic base..

      That's how the colonial powers and double dealing land agents disenfranchised Maori while pretending to confer the rights of British citizenship knowing that Maori couldn't understand what it meant at the time.

  6. Ad 6

    The consultation document reads like a new teacher wrote it straight out of studying Paolo Frere's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. I think they're over-compensating for historical absences.

    My benchmark however is Belich's Making Peoples. That puts all streams of immigration into the strength of their impact, and of how they made history and made us together. And doesn't write in a way that doesn't get sucked into a binary of either history as written through a series of wars and victors, to history written through the framing of losers.

    As for Goldsmith, I get his point. The government didn't make us – and rarely narrates who we are. Most of our historical identity is formed through companies and their fate upon our families. So economic history is arguably just as important as, say, our history through wars.

    • Tricledrown 6.1

      Ad Maori farming and trading allowed migrants to establish but once established they destroyed Maori businesses.

      • Ad 6.1.1

        Again, there's no need to narrate history as perpetual tragedy.

        You could narrate Maori history of the last 50 years through the growth and effect of post-settlement Maori incorporations – that's where history touches actual lives now.

        • Tricledrown 6.1.1.1

          Ad had Maori been fully conferred the rights of British citizens there would be no tragedy.

          And we wouldn't be having this argument you obviously are not on the the receiving end other than receiving stolen goods.

          Legally Maori could have gone for the other 98% of land not compensated for but just the Wellington settlement would have cost us taxpayers $17 billion yet Maori accepted just 1% $170 million.

          Maori turned around and gifted some of that land received as partial non financial compensation back to all New Zealand as a nature reserve.

          Because the govt couldn't afford full settlement hundreds of billions Maori accepted the meagre 1to3% so long as there was a bigger slice of fisheries and surplus govt land being sold Maori wete given first option on buying that land .

          • Ad 6.1.1.1.1

            Your first claim is just an imagination exercise running a counterfactual history.

            The rest of it is just framing history as loss. Sure it's a part of it. Not most of it.

          • Gosman 6.1.1.1.2

            On what basis do you claim that the compensation just for Wellington should be $17 Billion?

            • Tricledrown 6.1.1.1.2.1

              Gosman go to Hansard 1996 Doug Graham minister of treaty settlements this was widely reported at the time.

              Maori agreed on a much lower settlement than the true value of lands illegaly confiscated .

              Maori agreed to a much lower settlement as the cost of settlement for just the confiscated land accross NZ at the time would have exceeded $350 billion .

              The govt of the day National said the level of debt needed to pay all that money would have stifled the NZ economy affecting Maori more than others especially urban Maori who have gained little out of treaty settlements.So Maori and National agreed to a $2 billion cap on cash settlements plus rivers fishing rights,and that Maori get first rights on govt surplus land being sold.

              Gosman you haven't any knowledge of the National govts treaty settlement.

              Maori have been far more generous to NZ ie bastion point legally they could have evicted all the wealthy NZers living in their multi million dollar homes on stolen Maori land but chose not to .

              The land that was eventually given back by the NZ govt was gifted to all NZ by Nga Puhi now is a reserve all New Zealanders can access.

              People like you Gosman that stir just for the kicks.ie kick Maori when they are down while enjoying the fruits of the I'll gotten gain have no understanding don't look for the truth just keep pushing the systematic racism buttons to cover up the real history of NZ.

    • Hunter Thompson II 6.2

      Brian Easton's "Not in Narrow Seas" is probably worth a look too, if you aren't deterred by the fact he is an economist (I haven't read it yet). He writes well.

  7. Red2 7

    Not sure why we are spending so much time getting exercised on a history that in the global scheme of things is pretty much irrelevant both in time ( 200 years at best documented ), global relevance, ( none) Magnitude ( ie what we call a war in its true sense over time, ancient and modem history would hardly rate as a skirmish) Similarly human history is dominated by colonisation, integration, one man colonist is another pioneer etc . It’s all a bit strange how as a nation we are just trying degrade into the past where at the end of the day NZ is just a factor of the March of human history not simply an epoch of Maori Pakeha interface over 250 years, to think otherwise displays and arrogance and ignorance

    [Permanent ban.

    You worked hard again today to skirt the ban even though I’d given you clear and strong advice twice only three days ago that you were allowed back on 7 Feb if you behaved or banned permanently if you didn’t: https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-23-01-2021/#comment-1777157 and https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-01-02-2021/#comment-1777158.

    You have been wasting Moderators’ [plural] time for years here and copped many bans, even a permanent one. Every time you’re banned, you try really hard to skirt the ban.

    You’re no longer allowed to play your games here – Incognito]

  8. Descendant Of Smith 8

    How, in such a short space of time, did we attain one of the highest living standards in the world?

    Ummm trade unionism, the adoption of socialist policies, the owning of infrastructure be the government, the willingness of Maori to share water for the greater good, the gifting of land by Maori for schools, hospitals, etc, 8 hour working day – 40 hour working week, government jobs for people with disabilities, …..

    • mac1 8.1

      Also enfranchisement of women, Old Age Pension (though withheld from Māori at first), the Liberals breaking up of the big estates- all helped with their early introduction in NZ.

      • solkta 8.1.1

        the Liberals breaking up of the big estates

        Sounds like code for stealing Maori land.

        • Ad 8.1.1.1

          A comment that well illustrates the need to know the history before commenting.

        • Enough is Enough 8.1.1.2

          Try this

          nzhistory.govt.nz/cheviot-estate-taken-over-by-government

          Its time we educated our people

        • mac1 8.1.1.3

          In looking for a suitable starter online for learning about the Liberal break up of the big estates (and thanks enough is enough for your citation), I found this.

          http://www.nzjh.auckland.ac.nz/docs/1992/NZJH_26_1_06.pdf

          It's an academically written account of this topic, but not one I expected.

          It begins. "The occupation and colonization of the North Island of New Zealand was advanced considerably between 1891 and 1911 by the Liberal government's purchase of some 3.1 million acres of Maori land between 1891 and 1911 and the sale of about a half million acres within the open market over the same period. This land was acquired for an average price of 6s 4d an acre. In direct contrast a mere 1.3 million acres was made available by the break-up of the great estates under the Lands for Settlement scheme at an average price of 84 shillings an acre."

          I need to read the whole document but the opening paragraph shows that my fifty year old understanding, with a little top up reading since NZ History in 1968, is also in need of revision and updating.

          We learned of the Cheviot and Kinloch estate breakups either missed or were not taught about the Liberal purchase of Māori NI land at a huge price difference.

          Another question then arises, as to the ethics of the purchases of the land that became the ‘big estates’.

  9. Sacha 9

    Goldsmith's choice of book subjects might just be pragmatic – only rich right-wingers have the means and the ego to retain a lackey to lovingly finesse their deeds.

  10. mac1 10

    As a former history teacher, I value especially the third major idea. To me the curriculum seems sound and as an historian knowing the value of the study of history appreciate the universality of the programme.

    Also, people will appreciate the canards of history, if all are taught it, which impinge on our social cohesion- for example, the so-called Land Wars, the fate of the Moriori.

    And they may well appreciate the injustices of our past which still influence us today. The recent 2020 publication of a report on cancer features the different outcomes between Māori and European in cancer statistics, treatment and morbidity, known about at least twenty years ago and even more historical in origin.

  11. KJT 11

    How about we really upset him and add the history of Trade Unions, and their support for human and especially, workers, rights to a decent wage and working conditions, education and housing. We could teach kids how to avoid being screwed by employers, fiance companies and landlords while we are at it.

    • Tricledrown 11.1

      If not for Trade unions and the establishment of the Labour Party wealth would have been concentrated in a few hands.

      Meaning not many businesses would have survived as you need customers with money .Those customers need good housing good health care good education to maintain a constant flow of money into businesses for them to succeed.

      The right wing do not understand this basic economic principle and continually undermine it for power and concentrating power in a few hands.

      Hence austerity for the poor and tax cuts for the wealthy ,tax increases for the poor user pays .

      Looking back at NZs economic performance it's so obvious that we have such low eratic economic growth under Tory selfish economic regimes.

      And steady continual growth under sharing left wing regimes.

      • Enough is Enough 11.1.1

        "wealth would have been concentrated in a few hands"

        Would have been?

        Wealth IS concentrated in a few hands

      • Cricklewood 11.1.2

        I do find it ironic that it was a Labour govt that set us on the path we are currently on and have been since the Lange govt, and that Labour govts post the post that govt have steadfastly refused to roll back those reforms and those that built on them instead tinkering around the edges…

    • Gosman 11.2

      How do people avoid being screwed by employers, fiance companies and landlords then? I would think the current government might be interested in your answer at least in regard to the last group.

      • Tricledrown 11.2.1

        Have a commerce commission that is fully funded to do its job quickly and properly.

        Landlords are following the market of supply and demand.

        The supply hasn't kept pace with the market from the early 90's till 2020 this year with 45,000 to maybe 60,000 house being built that level of construction would need to be maintained for 10 yrs to meet existing demand and future demands. Unlikely under the present model.

        NZ population increased by 500,000 in the last 10 years housing construction has only ramped up in the last 3yrs meeting the demand only 1 year in 30 other than the Canterbury Earthquakes which were replacement houses.

        • Gosman 11.2.1.1

          Oh so you want them to be taught the basics of Economics. I'm cool with that. The more people learn about economics the better I say.

  12. lprent 12

    Goldsmith is entirely interested in local business – the least important and most monopolistic (because of a small internal economy) part of our business community.

    As someone who has been working in businesses for the last 45 years – almost entirely export and tech related, I find his shallow and limited approach to business as being outright stupid and kind of pathetic.

    The internal business environment in NZ is just amateur hour. But I guess that is mostly where the National party lives. Small minded, noncompetitive, and completely lacking in competence and vision.

    • RedLogix 12.1

      The internal business environment in NZ is just amateur hour.

      When you've had the remarkable opportunity to have an uninterrupted one on one with the CEO of Bechtel for about an hour (we were the only passengers on a ferry ride and no cellphone coverage), you get a sense of what it takes to do professional business at a global scale.

      I asked him to tell me about his top three priorities – and his first answer was categorical – develop, empower and retain highly competent people who have integrity. That's pretty much a word for word quote.

      Second was the need to have strong systems of ‘governance’ in place and in operation.

      Third was managing and balancing off the competing interests of all the external stakeholders. Most large engineering projects these days have a critical dependency on what’s called ‘social license to operate’ that demands constant attention.

    • Tricledrown 12.2

      Lprent so true and succinct.

  13. RedLogix 13

    “Aotearoa NZ’s history has been shaped by the exercise and effects of power.”

    Reducing everything to nothing but the raw exercise of power is a sword that can be wielded by any hand.

    Democracy on the other hand is a system that attempts (albeit imperfectly) that attempts to moderate power in order to serve the greatest good.

    Maybe we should teach that.

  14. David 14

    While I admire the intent of the NZ history curriculum refresh, I find it surprising narrow in focus and scope. For example, the second objective of linking New Zealand’s recent 200 year history solely to colonisation. That seems to totally disregard the impact global events had on shaping New Zealand history over that period … two world wars for example. Over the past number of years I’ve taken various university history papers covering periods of New Zealand, Pacific, European and South American history. Without exception global context is always important in understanding national or regional history. We seem to be missing a trick here with such a narrowly focused curriculum.

    • mac1 14.1

      David, does not the third 'big idea' include global ideologies and beliefs and the events like wars that arose from them- colonialism, imperialism, fascism, anti-communism?

      These same ideas and ideologies drove our social history, our economic history, our system of government, our sense of nationhood.

      The stuff of history is there.

      Dr Michael Bassett argued recently that starting history in 1840 would be dishonest. Of course this was a ploy to allow him to attack Māori history prior to 1840.

      But, of course, as is the case when personal views ignore facts, the history curriculum was not limited as Bassett claimed. The first 'big idea' gives the lie to that. Secondly, any history of a period has to also acknowledge and understand what gave rise to the events, the history of that period.

      WW1 did not start in 1914 in terms of its causes. Some Germans regarded WW2 as a continuation of WW1, and so on.

      Good teachers of history, and the writers of the text books and historical material will ensure that history is taught properly.

      For, it has not been in the past. In our community paper today, I read this. "During part one of our investigation published last year about Stuff, we also realised New Zealanders, in general, are ignorant about this country’s history.”

      I look forward to being further educated in NZ history, as some of my scholarship is at least fifty years old, and today I found a recent academic work that proved that.

  15. Historian 15

    There are a few historical points I would like to reply to here.

    Firstly, even within the confiscation areas about a third of the land was returned to Maori ownership. This is why there are Maori settlements at places like Whatawhata, Kohanga and Waahi.

    Secondly the export oriented Maori economy in the Waikato in particular had collapsed by 1860 after flourishing during the boom years of supplying food to the Australian goldfields. This is acknowledged in the Waitangi Tribunal report at https://forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/WT/wt_DOC_806544/Wai%20898%2C%20A026.pdf and other histories. East Coast Maori had lost most of their schooner fleet to storms and floods.

    Thirdly, the Maori population of New Zealand in the 1850s was between 50 and 60,000 and large parts of the country were uninhabited. Travellers could go for days without coming across a single village, look down at hundreds of thousands of acres without a house or a cultivation.http://www.enzb.auckland.ac.nz/document/?wid=492&action=null http://www.enzb.auckland.ac.nz/document/?wid=5028&page=0&action=searchresult&target=

    The cost of turning bush and swamp land into the productive pasture that underlies our prosperity as a country today was many times the value of the land. Think roads and railways, water troughs, felling and burning the bush, fences, cowsheds and shearing sheds for a start.

    It might also be noted that the tribes inhabiting Wellington in 1840 had seized it from the previous owners in bloody battle without paying a cent only a decade before the settlers arrived.

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    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • 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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • 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,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Progress continues apace on water storage
    Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government agrees to restore interest deductions
    Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

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