Parliament’s tie issue

Written By: - Date published: 7:29 am, February 10th, 2021 - 90 comments
Categories: maori party, Parliament, twitter - Tags:

This is a weird issue for the Maori Party to get ready to die in a ditch about.

Having one of your two MPs being silenced in the people’s chamber for not wearing a decorative strip of material around your neck when all other males are seems at first to be pretty retrograde.

By all means make your stand and fight your battles but save them up for the big issues.

Child poverty, inadequate housing, environmental devastation, treaty breaches, fill your boots.  The Maori electorate has a particularly focussed and painful experience of these issues and will cheer you every time you make a stand.

But neck ties?  You are just filling bandwidth and the twitterverse with irrelevant chatter.

Having said this Parliament does need to change the rules.

As a lawyer I have worn a tie every time I have gone into court during the last 36 years.  Does it help me do my job? No.

And in the People’s house of representatives this artificial historic requirement is so arbitrary.

But suit with tie, without tie, good old westie black shirt with jeans and maybe a dress jacket for style, these should all be sufficient.

The People’s house should mark its members by the quality of their work and the quality of their representation.

And if they do not live up to expectations then there is the right of the electorate to vote them out at the next election.

I hate to agree with Claire Robinson.  Her comments are always fashioned to be critical of Labour and supportive of National.  She deserves her Spin Doctor moniker.

But on this issue I agree with her.  The requirement for male MPs to wear a tie is an anachronistic distraction.

Let us just require our MPs to turn up to work wearing something tidy and presentable.

And hope that they concentrate on dealing with issues such as child poverty, inadequate housing, environmental devastation and treaty breaches.

90 comments on “Parliament’s tie issue ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. lprent 1
    10 February 2021 at 8:03 am

    I turn up for work in everything from tee shirts that say "Grey Lynn" to ones that say "Programmer looking for work, willing to do windows". From jeans to shorts. After going to work in a car, to sweating in through the door after biking to work on a humid day. Running shoes or sandals. They're usually tidy if you have blurry. Always clean until after lunch.

    But my job is mostly inherently back end and, apart from the odd zoom call, usually far away from the customer. If customers see me, it is because I'm fixing some horrible screw-up that has been defeating others.

    Last time I wore a tie was probably a wedding back in the 1980s. My partner certainly commented on how bloody old and out of date they looked after she spring cleaned my clothes and threw them out a decade ago.

    So I agree with Rawiri Waititi at a personal level. In fact the requirement to wear such a stupid monstrosity was one of the things that I considered decades ago when I decided that pursuing an interest in politics was way less interesting than an obsession with programming.

    On the other hand, it is a kind of uniform. I've worn those in the army. I've worn them been doing management jobs. When I have been doing technical sales. When I have been a barman. And even when doing the odd appearance at social occasions like weddings.

    They're functionally designed to allow you to blend in. Like a gillie suit for a sniper.

    I argue against them loudly when they're silly. But I won't stop working in a principle over them.

    Only a narcissistic dickhead wanting to stand out would die in a ditch to change that. I guess that defines Rawiri Waititi.

    Plus he is probably enabling the dinosaur culture war warriors to cling to their authority to hold on to a non-functional dress standard for more decades.

  2. kejo 2
    10 February 2021 at 8:04 am

    And I would say that 0.00005% of Maori find a tie relevant and class this as an appropriate and colourful "up yours" towards a Speaker of the House with an 1840,s sense of reality. Regards, Keith

  3. Treetop 3
    10 February 2021 at 8:35 am

    Being silenced in the people's chamber for not wearing a tie is going to far.

    Mallard is acting like a school principal using a school dress code against someone.

    The tie rule is the issue and Rawari Waititi is challenging it.

    • Tricledrown 3.1
      10 February 2021 at 9:06 am

      Mallard wearing an Americas cup logo shouldn't be allowed.

      Then don't we have equal rights women should have to wear ties as well.

      • Treetop 3.1.1
        10 February 2021 at 2:46 pm

        What a silly rule wearing a tie is. There is no rule saying you need to wear make up or dye your hair if it is going grey or regrowth coming through. The justice department had a change in barristers wearing wigs some years back.

  4. Siobhan 4
    10 February 2021 at 8:38 am

    As someone of Scottish heritage…I consider cultural battles over dress are, infact, important… however the fact that the Māori Party co-leaders did not submit on the business attire dress code seriously weakens their position.

    The argument not to submit…"If two of us in the Māori Party were to put in a submission to say we didn't agree with ties, that would get lost amongst the very system that keeps our people in second place: democracy."….makes me wonder why the Maori Party have even accepted a seat within Parliament where everything is subjected to the always flawed rules of Democracy.

    Again…I am not saying the Maori Party leaders are wrong on either issue, in fact I agree with them generally…..There are many powerful and valid reasons to fight your cause by remaining outside of the power structures (something they should have learned after their partnership with National). But trying to be …one foot in..one foot out…with the plodding rules and systems of Parliament, and parliamentary change/evolution, just doesn't work.

    • weka 4.1
      11 February 2021 at 10:28 pm

      that quote makes more sense if you read the whole thing.

      "As the indigenous peoples of Aotearoa, we're still having to go to the white man to make a submission about how we should dress in a place that has been consented by my ancestors through Te Tiriti o Waitangi," Waititi said.

      "If two of us in the Māori Party were to put in a submission to say we didn't agree with ties, that would get lost amongst the very system that keeps our people in second place: democracy.

      "When it suits everybody democracy works, but when it doesn't suit everybody, you know, we get overpowered by the majority.

      https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018782850/my-taonga-is-my-tie-maori-party-co-leader-rawiri-waititi

      Maybe there is an issue of mana there. That it is diminished in multiple ways.

      He may also be pointing to participatory democracy rather than majority rules. Choosing to not engage in certain aspects of the flawed model can be a choice of empowerment. Mallard's defence that he asked for submissions seems weak to me, because he didn't explain how that process was done. Was it a vote? Or was he taking advice and making a decision? Were TMP's voices likely to be heard? I'm guessing probably not.

      I'm also suspicious of the idea that most people said keep the ties, it suggests the process was flawed and lots of people didn't submit. Or maybe it was how the question was asked. Who knows.

  5. Roy Cartland 5
    10 February 2021 at 8:41 am

    I think it's a stupid thing for the speaker to [make someone] die in a ditch over. Did someone complain? Make it an issue then, and turn it to the idiotic complainer, rather than make an ass of himself, and Waititi.

    • David 5.1
      10 February 2021 at 9:50 am

      The Speaker has shown a poor sense of judgement on this and more significant issues recently. His credibility in the role is at a very low ebb.

      • Peter 5.1.1
        10 February 2021 at 11:06 am

        "The Speaker has shown a poor sense of judgement on this…"

        He went with what the majority wanted after consultation.

        Would you rather he just go within his own personal opinion on everything, his gut feeling? And would you then be addressing his dictator attitude?

        • DukeEll 5.1.1.1
          10 February 2021 at 11:17 am

          Must suck to be a cultural minority…. but whatever, as long as the majority can perform their tyranny

          • mac1 5.1.1.1.1
            10 February 2021 at 12:03 pm

            The majority thing is how Parliament, and democracy, works with hopefully due regard to the rights of the minority.

            The Speaker is bound by such rules, even though his personal preference would be to dump ties.

            • DukeEll 5.1.1.1.1.1
              10 February 2021 at 2:28 pm

              In the institution that has specific Maori seats to specifically address the issue that Maori were and are under-represented by Maori in said institution, Maori aren't allowed to dress as Maori, only as Pakeha, because they are a minority?

              Good to know.

              That majority wouldn't be partly comprised of Labour MP's disgruntled that the Maori party took Waiariki from them would it?

              • mac1 …
                10 February 2021 at 3:02 pm

                I'm not sure that I know how Maori should be dressed 'in business attire" as the Speaker ruled yesterday.

                I do know that hei tiki are worn with ties.

                But to suggest that MPs would be so churlish as to stymie a man's chosen snazzy garb because he won a seat from one of their own?

                BTW, though your point about the need for retention of Māori seats is valid, yesterday in the House it was pointed out that Māori, while comprising 14% of the population (my understanding is 17%), are represented by a larger % in the House.

                What's happening out in the District Councils is a different matter. One MP argued she had never seen a Māori councillor in her area in 29 years. Waititi's colleague argued convincingly enough in that debate. And her tie looked quite sharp……

                • DukeEll …
                  10 February 2021 at 3:15 pm

                  But as long as the majority approve of the individual items that define business attire, you agree? diversity until otherwise allowed I guess.

                  <i> But to suggest that MPs would be so churlish as to stymie a man's chosen snazzy garb because he won a seat from one of their own? </i>

                  Well, The majority in parliament is Labour and the Greens, so there must be at least some in either of those parties responsible.

                  • mac1 …
                    10 February 2021 at 6:39 pm

                    They will sort it out. What I think is immaterial. What I was challenging was that we all know how MPs should be dressed, or that we can impute childish and vengeful motives to parliamentarians, without challenge.

                    "You beat me in one of our seats so you have to wear a tie nyah nyah na na nyah!” Really?

                    Another point- if there are rules, someone has to judge whether they are followed- judge, umpire, schoolteacher, parent, whoever. And be criticised for doing so, as always there will be those who disagree with the rules. In the House, they’re called Speaker, responsible to the House and enforcing its members’ rules.

        • Treetop 5.1.1.2
          10 February 2021 at 2:49 pm

          It does not make it right just because the majority wanted ties to be worn. An exemption could be granted.

        • Louis 5.1.1.3
          10 February 2021 at 7:28 pm

          It is odd that the Maori party, that wanted the tie rule gone, didnt bother to submit to the review.

  6. Stuart Munro 6
    10 February 2021 at 8:43 am

    Meh – his tiki thing fills the tie role adequately – it's his hat I'd throw him out for: it's not from any NZ culture. Mind, his 2ic's hat is great – it's the stuff that fills it that struggles.

    • Roy Cartland 6.2
      10 February 2021 at 10:02 am

      With you there re hat.

    • McFlock 6.3
      10 February 2021 at 12:25 pm

      It's definitely a blatant "out" for Mallard to say "same diff, ties and tiki show equal respect for the House".

    • woodart 6.4
      10 February 2021 at 12:44 pm

      completley agree, raving on about having to wear an item of european clothing ,while wearing an item of american clothing shows huge amounts of hypocrisy, and very little consistency.

    • georgecom 6.5
      10 February 2021 at 9:28 pm

      I thought similar Stuart Munro. Maybe a tiki is appropriate under Tikanga Maori as a replacement for a tie. If that is so I am fairly relaxed about Waititi wearing that in substitute for a neck tie or bow tie. The 'colonial noose' as he calls it.

      How about the 'pax americana crown' he wears however, the symbol of post war american economic imperialism. Latin America and to a lesser extent the Middle East and for a period South East Asia being a play thing for US economic imperialism.

  7. Sabine 7
    10 February 2021 at 8:54 am

    Yeah, cause being silenced by a white fellow for not wearing what is essentially a white men fashion statement/ adornment must be the fault of the not white guys.

  8. Ad 8
    10 February 2021 at 9:12 am

    At least Winston Peters knew how to dress. It starts with a double-breasted and finely tailored dark suit.

  9. Robert Guyton 9
    10 February 2021 at 9:14 am

    So many people talking about Rawiri Waititi and Te Pati Maori!

    He pai tena!

  10. Sacha 10
    10 February 2021 at 9:36 am

    It is a useful symbolic issue about our colonial institutions.

    https://twitter.com/Publicwrongs/status/1359058689647284227

  11. Incognito 11
    10 February 2021 at 9:36 am

    The tie should be thrown on the bonfire of regulations together with all other rules that are deemed silly or unnecessary by at least one MP. Did Simon Bridges walk in solidarity with his brother when he got ejected from Parliament?

  12. Barfly 12
    10 February 2021 at 9:44 am

    Heh – Rawiri Waititi in my opinion is firmly following the principle of "all publicity is good publicity" – nothing more.

  13. Foreign waka 13
    10 February 2021 at 9:45 am

    Storm in a tea cup. There are more pressing issues that need attention.

  14. Robert Guyton 14
    10 February 2021 at 9:55 am

    The Maori wards issue is far more interesting.

  15. Sanctuary 15
    10 February 2021 at 10:11 am

    Homer noted in the Odyssey that Ulysses tidying up his appearance gave him "…the air of the gods who dwell in the wide heaven." while Erasmus in 1508 tells us “vestis virum facit (clothes make the man).” Mark Twain in "The Czar’s Soliloquy" says “[One] realizes that without his clothes a man would be nothing at all; that the clothes do not merely make the man, the clothes are the man; that without them he is a cipher, a vacancy, a nobody, a nothing… There is no power without clothes.” And any number of sumptary laws also tell us of the importance of appearance.

    And of course this advice might offer a clue to any Instagram influencer annoyed as to why it might be that no one takes her pronouncements seriously when given in her postage stamp bikini.

    I think then that we can dispense with the ridiculous idea that clothes are unimportant, especially when dealing with a body such as parliament that derives some of dignity (from which some part of it's authority is attained) from the example of it's sartorial display to those it presumes to rule.

    Following the rules and wearing a tie is part of the conventional sumptary display voters clearly expect from their MPs. This is only a problem if you want to make it one, or perhaps you wish to signal you don't take your $180,000PA taxpayer funded job seriously. The Maori party so far it all it's behaviour has indicated it isn't interested in being serious about it's job or indeed in taking parliament as the legislative body that sets our laws and governs the land seriously. I get it is playing to it's perceived support base – a gallery of resentful and arrogant Maori nationalists keen for the trappings of executive power but not particularly interested in democratic responsibility – but I have to observe that a party that spent from 2008-2017 propping up the government of the bespoke be-suited (and presumably be-decked with a splendid array of couture attacher) settler capitalist class that made every metric of Maori life worse (except for new the Iwi elites) makes it faux outrage a ridiculously thin gruel to me, at least.

    My advice to the Moari party therefore is put the fucking tie on and do your fucking jobs for poor and badly housed Maori and stop behaving like unserious larrikans. Voters have no interest in your stupid parliamentary parlour games. Or if you are not interested in being serious about being in parliament, piss off and get someone who is.

  16. Anne 16
    10 February 2021 at 10:38 am

    To put a few commenters straight: Mallard consulted with the parliamentarians about the issue. A significant majority wanted the tie rule to continue. That [presumably] means all the Nat. and ACT MPs and maybe a few from Labour.

    Mallard himself is on record in the past few days noting that he personally supported the dropping of the tie rule, but since the majority of parliamentarian wish it to continue he has no choice but to uphold the rule.

    Get your facts right folks and blame the parliamentarians who insisted on the tie rule remaining – not the Speaker.

    • Red Blooded One 16.1
      10 February 2021 at 11:48 am

      yes

    • KJT 16.2
      10 February 2021 at 12:35 pm

      Yep. It seems Mallard has acted perfectly correctly in this instance. Puzzling why the Māori party didn't object when it was decided. They could have persuaded MP's that ties could be substituted with Taonga, or Bolo's.

      This is one of many issues that shows the value of “Consensus” decision making.

    • Enough is Enough 16.4
      10 February 2021 at 2:12 pm

      Maybe a few from Labour?

      Considering the massive majority they hold in Parliament, along with the Greens, then certainly Labour MPs wanted the tie to stay.

      That's how democracy works.

      Suck it up and lets get on with fixing some real issues.

      • Anne 16.4.1
        10 February 2021 at 4:19 pm

        Suck it up and lets get on with fixing some real issues.

        Agreed. I couldn't care less if they wear ties or not. Provided they show respect for the chamber and appear clean, tidy and reasonably soberly attired let them wear what they like.

        I was just correcting a few people here, who seemed to think it was Mallard throwing his weight around. He was following an apparent majority decision by MPs to keep the tie tradition in place.

    • Gabby 16.6
      10 February 2021 at 11:01 pm

      What a disappointing, shallow bunch the majority of parliamentarians are.

  17. KJT 17
    10 February 2021 at 10:40 am

    Time we got rid of elitist colonial relics such as ties anyway.

    This is as rediculous as schools dictating pupils haircuts.

    As I get older I have less and less regard for rules and conventions that have nothing to do with achieving the task on hand. Even less for ones that came from a much cooler climate than ours.

    At one stage ties, and suits. were the male management uniform in the job I was doing at the time.

    After a bit I stopped wearing one, and bought comfortable trousers and a polo shirt. Just dressed neatly and tidily.

    You know what. Nobody noticed for a while, then they started turning up themselves in what is usually called, "smart casual".

    The sky did not fall in!

    Noting that anyonene who has tried to rip me off or climb over me on corporate ladder, while giving me a kick on the way up, has worn a suit and tie.

    Never had anything but help from those in working clothes, with tattoos and T shirts, or even Bikie leathers.

  18. Drowsy M. Kram 18
    10 February 2021 at 11:13 am

    Mallard’s treatment of a duly elected NZ parliamentarian is the bad look, imho.

    Speaker to consider dropping ties from Parliament's dress code

    Parliament dress code review: Wellington fashion icon on ties and workplace attire [27 Nov 2020]

    "I welcome this discussion for our New Zealand Government and I hope that they can come to a solution that suits the Government of today.

    "What we don't want to do is create limitations and blocks for people, and to be more comfortable and open."

    The phallic necktie is an outdated symbol of white male rule in New Zealand's parliament

    Parliament Dress Code Changed For First Time Since 1963

    Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka has made a historic ruling regarding how Senators are allowed to dress in the house.

    During a session on Tuesday, November 10 [2020], Speaker Lusaka stated that legislators would now be allowed to access Parliament's debate chambers and attend house business in traditional African attire.

    “I think it's only fair that the same rules apply to someone who’s in the chamber to someone remotely. Hence why I am very worried about Michael Fabricant’s pink shorts.”

    This MP Was Shamed For Wearing A (Very Nice) Dress In Parliament
    Rempel, for one, says she won’t let the trolls win. She plans to wear the dress again and again. “I bought in two more colours,” she says.

    South Korea's National Assembly plans to enforce dress code

    Ryu's party later said she was the victim of sexism and that her outfit was an act of defiance against a conservative political culture.

    "The authority of the National Assembly is not built upon those suits," Ryu had said.

    On Wednesday, the National Assembly research service said it is reviewing dress codes that apply to parliaments in Britain, France, Germany and Japan and the U.S. Congress.

    https://twitter.com/nzparliament/status/1310739241928806400?lang=en

  19. Peter 19
    10 February 2021 at 11:19 am

    Waititi's comments could be used by anyone arguing against school uniforms.

    The comments by many about 'cultural relics' and being imprisoned by the colonial past? In New Zealand that's why traditional old English public school type uniforms are held in high regard. It's why the expensive private schools here seem to try top replicate their old English cousins. It's tradition, it's a sign of class.

    Last week in the hot weather a group of high school girls crossed the road on a pedestrian crossing in front of me. Girls from the kura, in the hot weather, in Northland, wearing black stockings. It struck me as crazy but someone thinks it's a great idea and I guess they all go along with it.

  20. Incognito 20
    10 February 2021 at 12:24 pm

    IMHO, a much more interesting debate would be about what we can rightfully expect from our Parliamentarians in terms of standards of behaviour and (moral) conduct. Not just in the House, but in public (e.g. in the media), on-line (e.g. social media), even in private, and when they’re wearing their many different ‘hats’. To turn this into Tiegate seems another futile beat-up.

  21. McFlock 21
    10 February 2021 at 12:42 pm

    Ties, like most uniform elements, are arbitrary relics.

    I never wear one these days. But I used to.

    When I was doing venue security, I worked two type of job: pubs where they gave you a "crew" or "security"-labelled tshirt as an identifer, and formal events. For the latter I wore a tie.

    I found that each assisted me in adopting the appropriate character for the role I was about to play. Mannerisms changed, even verbal reactions. "Mate" became "sir", "what the hell" became "good god" (that ws a heck of a sight. Normally we caught the courting couples before they got anywhere near that far).

    Parliament should be a better place than it is. Members should dress accordingly. But the actual effort is what is important, not the arbitrary symbols used to express it.

    • Sacha 21.1
      11 February 2021 at 8:17 pm

      Normally we caught the courting couples before they got anywhere near that far

      Big Day Out? 🙂

      • McFlock 21.1.1
        11 February 2021 at 9:05 pm

        Formal function lol. Pretty usual for folks to try to sneak off down dark corridors into "unused" (read "less used") parts of the function centre. Dunno about now, but in those days the building was sectioned off using particle board partitions.

        The funniest one was a couple we didn't catch at the time, but someone was wearing a feather boa. A thin trail of feathers past a partition and down the hall, then left into the ladies… and an explosion of feathers around the sink bench lol. CSI: School Formals lol

  22. AB 22
    10 February 2021 at 1:05 pm

    More importantly – and this is the great issue of our age – are ties 'speech' ? (There are joke ties that actually play recorded words, but I don't mean them)

    • mac1 22.1
      10 February 2021 at 1:13 pm

      Ties can be loud, they can say something about the wearer, or the giver, and in Parliament's setting should be seen and not heard…..

  23. Reality 23
    10 February 2021 at 1:12 pm

    Well if a professional appearance is outdated and anything goes, perhaps the All Blacks could toss on any random jersey/shorts they had worn for practicing in. Air crew could grab anything they first laid eyes on in their wardrobe. The military could dispense with their smart uniforms and buy cheap track pants/sweat shirts in bulk from the Warehouse, as could the Police.

    I recall a low decile sports team a few years ago being so pleased they had finally got blazers to wear to sports fixtures, just the same as all the other school teams.

    Some respect for tradition is surely necessary even in today's more relaxed environment.

  24. bwaghorn 24
    10 February 2021 at 1:22 pm

    So hes got a no doubt expensive object that actually means something to him tied!!! around his neck but it's not a tie,

    Ok then🙄🙄

    Can some point to a standing order that clearly defines what makes the grade

  25. Jilly Bee 25
    10 February 2021 at 1:45 pm

    Is there any reason why the Speaker can't ask for a vote from the floor – the Ayes and Nos would be then available for us all to see and, just perhaps it would put an end to the matter. There is probably some rule or standing order which would prohibit such a vote.

  26. Macro 26
    10 February 2021 at 2:01 pm

    As a lawyer I have worn a tie every time I have gone into court during the last 36 years. Does it help me do my job? No.

    This one is for you Micky laugh

    I notice the cats not wearing a tie either!

  27. Andre 27
    10 February 2021 at 3:22 pm

    Bring back the powdered wigs!

  28. Roy Cartland 28
    10 February 2021 at 4:26 pm

    https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/436143/rawiri-waititi-allowed-to-speak-in-parliament-without-neck-tie

    Mallard came to his senses. Now let's see if the Standing Orders Committee will too.

    • Louis 28.1
      10 February 2021 at 6:41 pm

      "Mallard said he had a discussion with co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and they agreed a truce until the committee had met.

      "I did have an undertaking that he wouldn't be speaking, that he'd only be present, but we're going to deal with these matters at 7.15pm"

      Waititi asked a question therefore didn't keep his word.

    • Louis 28.2
      10 February 2021 at 6:46 pm

      "To put a few commenters straight: Mallard consulted with the parliamentarians about the issue. A significant majority wanted the tie rule to continue"

      See Anne's full post at 16.

  29. Treetop 29
    10 February 2021 at 6:53 pm

    Ties are unhealthy, they can reduce blood flow to the brain and play a part in some eye disorders. That might be the reason for some of the behaviour in parliament, I cannot recall that, I did not see that… In hospitals they can transmit infection.

    No doubt there is a lot more to add about how unhealthy ties are.

  30. pdm 30
    10 February 2021 at 7:21 pm

    I can live with a no tie rule as long as proper dress shirts are worn with ties required for the Opening of Parliament etc.

    The hat is a different issue – it is just plain bad manners for any man to wear a hat indoors. Even military people remove their hats when inside a building.

    • Cinny 30.1
      11 February 2021 at 6:26 pm

      YES, a man should always remove his hat in such surroundings as a sign of respect.

      Re the tie, my own personal opinion, love a man in a suit in tie. But no tie in parliament isn't a big deal for me.

  31. philip evans 31
    11 February 2021 at 2:40 pm

    What about the elephant in the room ? The American cowboy hat , perhaps the ultimate internationally recognised symbol of Honky culture ……..

  32. Muttonbird 32
    12 February 2021 at 1:33 pm

    Bizarre.

    The AM Show tie debate: MP wearing tie hails end of rule, while MP without tie says keep them compulsory

    https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/02/the-am-show-tie-debate-mp-wearing-tie-hails-end-of-rule-while-mp-without-tie-says-keep-them-compulsory.html

CommentsOpinions

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

FeedsPartyGovtMedia

  • 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
    9 hours 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
    10 hours 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
    15 hours 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
    17 hours 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
    18 hours 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
    19 hours 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
    20 hours 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
    21 hours 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 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 ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    4 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. ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    Bowalley Road
    5 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
    6 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    7 days 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
    7 days 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    7 days 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
    7 days 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 weeks 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
    12 hours 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
    13 hours 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
    14 hours 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
    3 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days 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. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days 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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki

    A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland

    A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland

    A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure

    A record $479 million for transport investment across the top of the South Island through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will build a stronger road network that supports primary industries and grows the economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We’re committed to making sure that every dollar is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government delivering reliable roads for Manawatū-Whanganui

    A record $1.6 billion for transport investment in Manawatū-Whanganui through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s importance as a strategic freight hub that boosts economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Restoring connections in Hawke’s Bay

    A record $657 million for transport investment in the Hawke’s Bay through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support recovery from cyclone damage and build greater resilience into the network to support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We are committed to making sure that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Transport resilience a priority for Gisborne

    A record $255 million for transport investment in Gisborne through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and restore the cyclone-damaged network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With $255 million of investment over the next three years, we are committed to making sure that every transport ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Prioritising growth and reduced travel times in Canterbury

    A record $1.8 billion for transport investment Canterbury through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Christchurch is the economic powerhouse of the South Island, and transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Supporting growth and freight in the Bay of Plenty

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Bay of Plenty through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and unlock land for thousands of houses, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in the Bay of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Getting transport back on track in Auckland

    A record $8.4 billion for transport investment in Auckland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will deliver the infrastructure our rapidly growing region needs to support economic growth and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Aucklanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, phantoms projects, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-09-09T14:21:21+00:00