Parsing John Key on TPPA

Written By: - Date published: 1:32 pm, August 17th, 2015 - 72 comments
Categories: john key, making shit up, Media, slippery, spin, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, winston peters, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags: , , ,

TPPA

John Key was interviewed this morning by Paul Henry on TV3.  The interview was cringeworthy.  The complete lack of independence shown by Henry and the obsequious nature of his treatment of Key were a joke.  Winston Peters has criticised Mike Hosking for being a National Party stooge and has said that the cost of his show should be counted against National’s electoral advertising.  The same comment applies to Paul Henry.  Our media is in a shocking state.

Key’s comments were reported in this article and shows Key at his disingenuous best.  And some parsing of his comments suggests that his comments are not, ahem, accurate.

Prime Minister John Key says protesters against a Pacific-wide free trade deal were misinformed.

Like when opponents said that Pharmac would be gutted and this was denied until recently?  And much of the heat has been generated because of the lack of information about the negotiations.

… Key said the protesters, only about one-third of which he said were “genuine”, were adamant they should know what the TPP involves before negotiations had been wrapped up.

“Name a single free trade agreement we’ve ever done in the public,” he asked on TVNZ’s Breakfast.

You mean that all sorts of WTO negotiations, or negotiations for the Free Trade Area of the Americas or the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement were also conducted in complete secrecy?  And the European Union Ombudsman has recommended release of similar documents from the US-EU negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.

And accusing two thirds of those who took part in the protest of not being genuine is insulting.

… Key said one-third of those were rent-a-crowd protesters who opposed any free trade deal and another third were Labour and Green supporters who opposed anything the Government did.

Funny I did not see people with clipboards at the Auckland protest determining who were “genuine”, who were “rent a mob” and who were Labour and Green supporters.  Perhaps since he knows so much John Key could advise where we can get our rent a crowd payments from?

Reports that Pharmac, the Government’s drug supplier, would be disestablished under the TPP were simply not true, he said.

“Pharmac will still be able to carry on with its own policies.”

Another false flag argument.  The concerns raised are that the Pharmac model, which has delivered significant savings in the cost of drugs, will be adversely affected.  This will either make the cost of buying pharmaceuticals more expensive for the country or the quality of what is available will drop or both will occur.  National’s position has changed.  Of course Pharmac will be affected.

The media is in a bad way with such openly partisan hacks as Henry and Hosking occupying such important positions.  Because it is the media’s most important job to hold John Key to account when he says stupid things.  Clearly as today’s example shows the media is not doing this at this stage.

To paraphrase Winston Peters both Hosking’s and Henry’s jowls are up the Prime Minister’s cheeks and the quality of public debate is clearly suffering.

72 comments on “Parsing John Key on TPPA ”

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  1. Graeme 1
    17 August 2015 at 1:48 pm

    “… Key said one-third of those were rent-a-crowd protesters who opposed any free trade deal and another third were Labour and Green supporters who opposed anything the Government did.”

    So the other third were National supporters. Like they’re the genuine people….

    Oppppps

    • Charles 1.1
      17 August 2015 at 2:31 pm

      If 2/3 of the protestors were genuine Green/Labour supporters and/or by definition genuinely “opposed anything the government did”, and one third were “genuine” protestors, then 3/3 of the protestors were genuine. It’s possible a sixth of the non-partisan could have been misinformed, since the rest had no need to know either way and still be genuine. But that would allow up to a sixth of them to have been “informed” of secrets no one knows and yet they protested anyway.

      So given the rough numbers of protestors at the events, there could be a minimum 600 non-governmental people who know the contents of the TTPA negotiations. This government has a serious leak!

    • Chooky 1.2
      17 August 2015 at 4:04 pm

      I seem to recall anti- Springbok Tour protesters were put down and called “rent-a- crowd” and “communists”

      ….didn’t alter the facts one iota

      ….and John key went to Nelson Mandala’s funeral ( while at the same time throwing insults at Hone Harawira, who genuinely was a brave protester and anti – apartheid…John Key of course could not remember which side he was on or even the Springbok Tour apparently)

      these name callers are full of shi..te

  2. Lanthanide 2
    17 August 2015 at 1:49 pm

    “Pharmac would be gutted”

    I don’t think the changes we are aware of would rise to the level of ‘gutting’ Pharmac, which figuratively means being a shell of it’s former self.

    Pharmac will still exist; all the existing cheap medication will stay cheap. The amount of drugs it can buy based on its current funding model will decrease; one estimate I heard (from a group of medical professionals against the TPPA, on Morning Report on Tuesday or Wednesday of the week the Hawaii negotiations were going on) is that it would cost an extra $50M for each year of patent extension. Now, that’s not tiny pocket change, but nor is it going to destroy pharmac.

    Of course since the whole thing is secret, there could be much worse provisions that we don’t know about.

    • Richard@Down South 2.1
      17 August 2015 at 2:43 pm

      How many years will they seek though? Currently its only 3 years from what I understand… what if they rounded it up to 10, or 20… or what about RIAA/MPAA Level copyright, 70 years

    • Sacha 2.2
      17 August 2015 at 2:50 pm

      The main damage to Pharmac is not patent extension but the crowbarring open of its prioritisation process and the power under ISDS for big pharma companies to use legal challenges against purchasing decisions they don’t like.

      They have wanted to undermine Pharmac for many years lest other nations copy the model. And guess who has been at the table helping write the TPP..

      • dukeofurl 2.2.1
        17 August 2015 at 3:21 pm

        I think you have hit the core issue there Sacha.

        We can see the advertising that Big Pharma do on TV ( as NZ is like US which allows advertising of pharmacy only medicines) where they run down the generics and tell people they can ‘insist’ of the drug thats ‘right for you’.
        So there is push back against Pharmac allowing competition to existing medicines , so Its certain they will push back in the courts to when existing medicines are dropped for cheaper versions

        • northshoredoc 2.2.1.1
          17 August 2015 at 4:22 pm

          NZ and the USA allow advertising of prescription medicines, most countries allow advertising of pharmacy medicines.

          I’m not sure about the USA but the only prescription medicines i’ve seen advertised in NZ recently are for asthma.

          • dukeofurl 2.2.1.1.1
            17 August 2015 at 8:11 pm

            Not long ago it was advertising for a anti depressant ‘branded’ against a generic.
            A bit longer back , when Viagra came out it was quite cleverly advertised- there were some bathroom sinks that ‘deflated’.
            But of course viagra has moved to pharmacy only not prescription only

          • tricledrown 2.2.1.1.2
            18 August 2015 at 12:53 am

            not many countries allow advertising by pharmacuetical companies.
            many perscription and non perscription medicines are advertised putting pressure on patients to ask their doctors!
            corruption govts should ask those companies to reduce the price of the medicines by not advertising putting that money they spend on advertising towards reducing percription costs.

      • Tracey 2.2.2
        17 August 2015 at 3:39 pm

        Pharmac’s business plans and methods of pricing have been passed over by our Government to our potential partners as part of the secret negotiating process. THAT kind of information is “die in the ditch” stuff in the commercial world. TPP or no TPP overseas pharmas have the info to begin to undermine Pharmac…

        • northshoredoc 2.2.2.1
          17 August 2015 at 4:23 pm

          PHARMAC’s plans and methods of pricing aren’t secret, they publish them on their website.

          • Tracey 2.2.2.1.1
            17 August 2015 at 5:27 pm

            hmmmmm…. am sure I read something about it in the last leaks and it didn’t relate to readily available information BUT it could have been misrepresented to beat up the story by those opposed to TPP, so thanks for the correction. Or I didn’t listen properly.

            http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11463317

            • Tautoko Mangō Mata 2.2.2.1.1.1
              18 August 2015 at 8:37 am

              Tracey, could this have been what you had read?

              “The Annex sets out a series of principles and procedures by which agencies like Pharmac must operate. They are designed to give the pharmaceutical industry more influence over its decisions and break down the procedures and budgetary cap that makes Pharmac so effective.

              According to Professor Kelsey, Pharmac is the most exposed of any programme in a TPPA country, especially since it assumed responsibility for medical devices as well as pharmaceuticals.

              While the ‘transparency’ Annex is not enforceable by other states, there are numerous ways the US and the pharmaceutical companies can force New Zealand to make changes that would seriously undermine Pharmac’s effectiveness and workability.

              The most immediate is the certification process, where the US can refuse to bring the TPPA into force in relation to New Zealand until Pharmac’s regulations and procedures are changed to meet what the US says the Annex requires.”

              http://itsourfuture.org.nz/wikileaks-reveals-attack-on-pharmac-in-transparency-annex/

    • Tracey 2.3
      17 August 2015 at 3:36 pm

      This is what Key and his advisors do. They lie about what people have claimed and then show the people were wrong to claim that, even though they didn’t.

      Interesting that he feels the need to address the issues raised (or imagined to be raised by him) by these disingenuous people…

      AND there goes a National person who knows better. It is NOT a FTA it is much more than that… and no one corrects him, not like we correct Wayne here!

    • Pat 2.4
      17 August 2015 at 6:52 pm

      It would appear a little more “gutting” than the Government of the day (read tax payers) having to reallocate increased resources to Pharmac, and remove that funding from somewhere else…the other consequences i.e. legal challenges could potentially have a far greater impact. The purpose and effectiveness of the Pharmac model could well be termed to be gutted.

      http://www.asms.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/TPPA-document-release-shows-Pharmac-will-be-undermined-_163769.1.pdf

      http://itsourfuture.org.nz/access-to-medicines/

  3. Detrie 3
    17 August 2015 at 1:55 pm

    Both the TVNZ and TV3 interviews were hopeless, although TVNZ version started by stating that the thousands over the weekend were obviously not the ‘rent a mob’ but genuinely concerned individuals. However no awkward questions followed, ending with a discussion of the PMs view of the weekend rugby game. Good grief….

    I guess we get the politicians and PMs we deserve, this one sadly being little better than a used car salesman. At least car salespeople are selling real items, not money itself.

    • Stephen Dickson 3.1
      17 August 2015 at 2:11 pm

      Who actually owns our media? Because quite frankly our media are an embarrassment and indeed need to be held accountable themselves.

      • maui 3.1.1
        17 August 2015 at 6:09 pm

        Not sure but whoever they are, they’re fucking assholes. Democracy and balance in what they do are long gone and it’s increasingly rubbed in our faces.

        • In Vino 3.1.1.1
          17 August 2015 at 6:26 pm

          Our media have been handed over to the marketing industry because that is how we are stupid enough to fund the media. In how many other countries would the CEO of supposedly State-Owned (‘Enterprise’) TVNZ be a man from the bloody marketing industry?

  4. rhinocrates 4
    17 August 2015 at 2:06 pm

    Question for Hosking and Henry: does it taste salty or sweet – or does it taste like nothing at all?

    • dukeofurl 4.1
      17 August 2015 at 3:22 pm

      cheek by jowl used to have a different meaning!

    • Anno1701 4.2
      17 August 2015 at 3:50 pm

      ouch !

    • NZJester 4.3
      17 August 2015 at 5:24 pm

      It would taste of nothing at all as he is so hollow and disingenuous on the inside. But they are most likely getting a placebo effect that makes them think that it tastes sweet, because he told them it would!

  5. Redbaiter 5
    17 August 2015 at 2:06 pm

    Its really not much good depending upon the media.

    It is the Labour Party’s job to confront John Key.

    Let’s face it, they’re hopeless at that job.

    Even I can see so much that Key could be pulled up on but the Labour Party just can’t seem to engage on the issues that matter.

    Who ever is in charge of strategy needs a good arse kicking.

    • rhinocrates 5.1
      17 August 2015 at 2:32 pm

      The truth is, in their tiny little hearts and in their tiny little minds, the front benches don’t oppose the government. I’d say that they’re simply going through the motions of being an opposition, but they’re pretty immobile.

    • Tiger Mountain 5.2
      17 August 2015 at 2:38 pm

      ah the smell of fake concern in the afternoon, thanks for that Rodbeater, it is actually wider participation and activism like the weekend marches that will make a difference

    • Tracey 5.3
      17 August 2015 at 3:40 pm

      if Hosking and Henry won’t report or challenge, how will the public KNOW if Labour is challenging the assertions. For example, the false assertion by Key that TPP is like other FTA’s. It’s not, that is part of the point.

      • Redbaiter 5.3.1
        17 August 2015 at 3:49 pm

        OK let’s assume that is true.

        That the two little MSM gnomes Hosking and Henry are a big part of confronting Key with an alternative and informed viewpoint.

        If so, then where do they get the information they need to construct this alternative viewpoint?

        Are you depending upon them to seek it out? If so then you’re doomed because they’re both lazy uniformed political noobs and they’re never going to do it.

        They know about ratings and that is all.

        There’s only one way Hosking and Henry are going to become informed about alternative views (to those of John Key) and that is if the Labour party makes those views well known. In parliament and other places.

        They’re not doing it.

        • Tracey 5.3.1.1
          17 August 2015 at 5:22 pm

          yeah they are. In question time every session. It is a fallacy that they are NOT challenging this government. They are sometimes reported and sometimes not. BUT Labour talking in parliament will NOT make Henry or Hosking say to Key “but this is different to all those other FTA’s PM.”

          “There’s only one way Hosking and Henry are going to become informed about alternative views (to those of John Key) and that is if the Labour party makes those views well known. In parliament and other places.”

          On what basis do you consider Hosking and Henry want to become informed about a viewpoint that challenges their own view of the world? My evidence that they don’t, is that, well, they don’t.

          • NZJester 5.3.1.1.1
            17 August 2015 at 5:49 pm

            Hosking and Henry could have easily got informed by looking at the facts that are easily available. But unless it is something coming to them filtered through the National part first they are closing their eyes and plugging their ears and going “nah nah nah nah nah”.

            John key quotes facts that sounds to good to be true and they will not ask him for his source of information to back up the claim. A member from another party not aligned with National quotes facts and they demand to know where they got the source of their information from so that they can be checked out.

            The MSM are demanding the highest of standards from or opposition parties but not demanding the highest of standards from the Government. A fair and balanced media should be demanding the highest of standards from everyone including themselves!

  6. Karen 6
    17 August 2015 at 2:16 pm

    Muldoon always used to claim the majority of those taking part in protest marches were “paid political protestors.” Never worked out who was supposed to be paying.
    He also would do his best to personally demean anybody spoke out against his policies, particularly if they were an academic.

    Key is just singing from the old National Party songbook, and on this issue Matthew Hooton is doing all he can to help by trying (unsuccessfully) to damage Jane Kelsey’s credibility.

    • rhinocrates 6.1
      17 August 2015 at 3:00 pm

      Does he have her address?

    • rhinocrates 6.2
      17 August 2015 at 3:01 pm

      Does Hoots have her address?

    • rhinocrates 6.3
      17 August 2015 at 3:01 pm

      Does Hoots have her address?

      • rhinocrates 6.3.1
        17 August 2015 at 4:12 pm

        Ach, buts in uploading, sorry for the repeat. Can someone remove the redundant ones?

    • Tracey 6.4
      17 August 2015 at 3:42 pm

      It amsues me that Kelsey, they say, is to be dismissed cos she has never supported a single FTA YET they are all full of credibility despite none of them EVER opposing a single FTA…

      Deep down I suspect a few (Mapp, Key, etc) are intimidated cos Kelsey probably is WAY more informed on what the TPP implications are than they are.

  7. Blue Horsehoe 7
    17 August 2015 at 2:31 pm

    NZ has been stitched up in what could only be described, as a deliberate operation

    Heartbreaking stuff

  8. georgy 8
    17 August 2015 at 3:17 pm

    Classic Crosby-Textor speak by Key on TV1 and 3.

    • NZJester 8.1
      17 August 2015 at 5:54 pm

      Classic Crosby-Textor speak just by Key? You do have to wonder if they also wrote some of the interviewers questions for him as well!

  9. Tracey 9
    17 August 2015 at 3:45 pm

    I AM NOT a rent-a-crowd. I don’t hate everything this government does, but I do strongly object to them signing us up to the TPP. I guess simple concepts are tough for Shohn Key?

    • Tautoko Mangō Mata 9.1
      17 August 2015 at 4:33 pm

      What about rent-an-MP? There’s a whole party of them and these are the ones who are going to ratify this “agreement” .

    • Keith 9.2
      17 August 2015 at 7:31 pm

      @Tracey; “I don’t hate everything this government does”

      But I surely hate everything about this governments constant dishonesty!

    • Rodel 9.3
      17 August 2015 at 10:22 pm

      Rent a crowd? No..it’s ‘rent a sycophant’ Hoskings, Henry and a few others make it the real’ rent a crowd’.

  10. Chooky 10
    17 August 2015 at 4:00 pm

    re “To paraphrase Winston Peters both Hosking’s and Henry’s jowls are up the Prime Minister’s cheeks and the quality of public debate is clearly suffering.”

    ….disgusting really

    GO Winnie!

    • rhinocrates 10.1
      17 August 2015 at 4:19 pm

      To quote Lenny Henry, “If you can say ‘fuck’, then you can’t say ‘fuck the government'”.

      Deliberately vulgar language undermines the ‘dignity’ of politicians. An interesting historical fact is that of course after printing was invented in Europe, it was used to spread porn… which was really often political satire depicting nobles and clerics in compromising activities – which was why it was banned of course.

      Stanley Kubrick did the same in Dr Strangelove depicting politicians and military officers as having weird sexual obsessions.

      The enforcement of ‘good taste’ is the refuge of the corrupt and insecure.

  11. Gosman 11
    17 August 2015 at 4:09 pm

    Even the recent changes on the drugs issue that have been discussed doesn’t suggest Pharmac will be ‘gutted’ (whatever that value laden term actually means in this context). The most that was mentioned is that new tpyes of drups would have longer patent protection. What this means is that it would take longer before Pharmac could source the generic alternative. In essence this is likely to increase the cost for Pharmac in the long term. If this is accompanied by increased funding then what is the problem?

  12. peterh 12
    17 August 2015 at 5:15 pm

    Why do you think Sky City. give Henry & Hoskings $50.000 a year

  13. Stuart Munro 13
    17 August 2015 at 5:30 pm

    Key’s latest “people want me to build a fence”

    No you STUPID ARROGANT GIT – you are temporarily manning our border control and when you’re gone (which can’t come soon enough) we want to have some of New Zealand left.

    The TPPA is criminally, disastrously, seize-traitor-MPs-and-burn-them-alive stupid. Do your homework, find out why, and don’t bloody sign it. Nothing was always what you did best.

  14. Paul 14
    17 August 2015 at 5:34 pm

    Hosking is symptomatic of everything that has gone wrong with NZ.
    A self-centred popinjay.

    • maui 14.1
      17 August 2015 at 6:20 pm

      I heard some Martians were looking at launching an attack on earth and starting with NZ. Then they picked up our digital signals with Hosking all over it and realised that we’re already being fucked over by someone else, so why bother.

    • keyman 14.2
      17 August 2015 at 6:32 pm

      hoskins is smug selfish stunted git

  15. dv 15
    17 August 2015 at 5:37 pm

    Isn’t the irony that even if/when the deal is signed the text is secret for 5 years??

  16. Kriss X 16
    17 August 2015 at 5:48 pm

    I voted for Key (probably not again) and were out protesting against the TPPA this weekend.

    It is worth remembering that this process began under a different government. It sucks, no matter who is in power.

    It is an issue that has united left/right/libertarians in all countries that may be signed into this agreement.

    Now is a time to all put our other differences aside and pull together for the greater good.

    • Anne 16.1
      17 August 2015 at 6:42 pm

      It is worth remembering that this process began under a different government.

      I think you will find that the original anticipated terms and conditions of the trade agreement were quite different to what appears to have eventuated under this government. Whatever John Key is claiming you can be sure it is a lie because the man is a pathological liar. He did it over the Saudi sheep deal where he has made demonstrably and easily proven false claims about Labour’s initial involvement. The MSM continue to keep their powder dry and are letting Key get away with all the lies. But sooner or later something is going to give…

      • Kriss X 16.1.1
        17 August 2015 at 9:14 pm

        Probably true. But that does not make the opposition right. Or forgive past wrongs.

  17. Keith 17
    17 August 2015 at 7:17 pm

    Was Paul Henry humping Keys leg during this pointless “interview”?

    • Paul 17.1
      17 August 2015 at 7:44 pm

      Henry and Hosking have given up even pretending they are journalists.

      • AmaKiwi 17.1.1
        17 August 2015 at 8:35 pm

        They are entertainers. They never were journalists. Their bosses gave them that title.

        It’s like addressing a crooked MP as “the Honorable.” It’s a title that goes with the time slot but has nothing to do with reality.

      • Puddleglum 17.1.2
        17 August 2015 at 9:29 pm

        Hi Paul,

        Mike Hoskings has already confirmed that he is not a journalist.

        To quote him:

        “Finally to all those who get exercised about this stuff, much of it seems based on the fact that “journalists” are supposed to be neutral.

        Well, top tip for you, I am not a journalist, and any claimed neutrality from others is most often a myth.“

  18. venezia 18
    17 August 2015 at 8:51 pm

    All the more reason to support the legal challenge to disclose the secret TPPA documents. You can donate on the givealittle page:

    https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/tppnosecrecy

  19. millsy 19
    18 August 2015 at 5:10 am

    We are too worried about Pharmac to focus on other implications, such as the ability of future governments to ensure utilities are kept in public hands, or even to regulate them.

  20. Smilin 20
    18 August 2015 at 9:35 am

    And you never know what youve got till youve lost it
    This TPPA is the country we know gone forever bit like OPEC the UN and all the rest of them
    When are we going to get a CLEAN UP THE PACIFIC agreement and hold France Britain Japan Aust and the USA to account for the nuclear and garbage mess theyve left us .
    The new plastic continent to go with plastic politics so we all have a plastic spoon while Key gets away with the family silver
    Thats the real TPPA

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    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 19

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent talking about the National-ACT-NZ First Government’s release of its first Emissions Reduction Plan;University of Otago Foreign Relations Professor and special guest Dr Karin von ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #29 2024

    Open access notables Improving global temperature datasets to better account for non-uniform warming, Calvert, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society: To better account for spatial non-uniform trends in warming, a new GITD [global instrumental temperature dataset] was created that used maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) to combine the land surface ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Half a million people use tax calculator

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