Party central

Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, July 9th, 2010 - 87 comments
Categories: humour, john key - Tags: ,

Emmerson’s take on Party Central at The Herald:

87 comments on “Party central ”

  1. lprent 1

    It has already been up yesterday. Oh well a reprise can’t hurt. It is a create great cartoon in the best traditions of political cartoons

    Updated: One of the problems with the iPad is that it likes correcting my spelling. Useful most of the time….

  2. Carol 2

    I noticed Murray McCully came out with aggressive attack on current Auckland management, in response to the lates FU with ‘party central’. This seems like a standard tactic of the Key government. I guess Labour governments tend to do this also. But the level of aggression, while over-riding legitimate criticisms and democratic debate seems to be taken to a new level by NACT. It reminded me of Tolley’s attacks on principals in response to their criticisms of the National Standards.

    McCully was using it as a vehicle for promoting the new (undemocratic) supercity set-up. In contrast, Phil Twyford put the blame firmly with the governments mismanagement, and lack of vigilant over-sight of their party central plan:

    http://business.scoop.co.nz/2010/07/08/time-to-sort-out-party-central-shambles/

    For myself, I don’t understand why they want a ‘party central’. It just seems to be something that will promote all the worst aspects of booze-saturated, macho, rugby culture. I would favour supporting the whole of the CBD and viaduct area as an entertainment zone, with some big screens showing games in places where crowds can gather. The various bars, restaurants etc can cater to diverse lifestyles amongst rugby followers.

    • Tigger 2.1

      Yeah, McCully really put the boot in. Way to take responsibility there Murray. Key also slammed the sheds as not being of any value. Because historical value is worthless…

      • Jim Nald 2.1.1

        So where’s now the new ‘Party Central’ venue to launch the National Party Central campaign for Elections 2011?

        p.s. Some photo ops next to a Dipton shed?

      • ianmac 2.1.2

        After all, Mr Key’s estate is in the best possible taste and will have many years of service as a shrine to aspirations of greed and disregard to the average kiwi.

  3. D14 3

    They are lucky it is not in a brewery, because they couldn’t organize that.

  4. Rather than the erection of a temporary tent maybe they should take the opportunity of putting the money into creating part of the John Key memorial cycleway. They could create a track directly from Eden Park to the Viaduct. This will have the twin benefits of reducing the incidence of drunk driving and also provide a welcome kick start to a glorious project that unfortunately does not seem to be getting off the ground …

  5. Pascal's bookie 5

    I’m notably fucking daft, but are there not clubrooms that:

    could use the patronage,
    are steeped in appropriate history that discerning rugby tourists might find quaint, homely and experiential,
    often have bloody great big paddocks attached?

    • comedy 5.1

      By all accounts party central is part of the RWC contract as signed by Trevor Mallard. I expect Heineken, as a premier sponsor, have it written in so they can fill the masses with their product.

    • Fabregas4 5.2

      Fantastic post Pascals Bookie!

      If I were a rugby club or bar owner I would be thinking that the RWC is an opportunity to make some hard earned money in the recession.

      I’d be totally annoyed that the govt decided to move it all to a very large corporate box! How anti business can you get – bloody lefties!

  6. big bruv 6

    The whole RWC is going to be a huge national embarrassment as well as a colossal waste of time and money.

    Clearly we could not organise a piss up in a brewery, why the IRB ever thought we had the ability to host this event is confusing, Japan would have been a far better option and saved us from making complete fools of ourself.

    • The Voice of Reason 6.1

      Speaking of making a complete fool of yourself, Blub, have you paid up yet?

      • BLiP 6.1.1

        heh! SNAP

      • comedy 6.1.2

        Play the comment not the man.

        The comment by BB is spot on.

        • felix 6.1.2.1

          The dilemma I have is that when he says “we couldn’t” and “fools of ourself” he has in fact injected himself, including his abilities and traits, into the discussion. In this case the comment is the man and that kind of comment is only going to lead to disorder.

          *I am on my feet!

    • BLiP 6.2

      Talking of making a complete fool of yourself, here’s the link to wikileaks for payment of your debt. Time to do the right thing, there’s a good lad.

    • BB

      In the interests of your posts being treated on merit and you not being reminded continuously about your failure to live up to the bet can I suggest that you pay up?

  7. tsmithfield 7

    This fiasco is exactly why there should be a super city. How anyone could hope to do business with the dysfunctional clowns there at the moment is beyond me. And why do they want to save that Gawd-awful eye-sore of a building when they could have a sparkling, brand-new one?

    • felix 7.1

      Perhaps we’re sick of Auckland’s “developers” tearing down everything more than 5 minutes old and replacing it with plastic tack.

      Why replace an old “eye-sore” with a new one?

      • tsmithfield 7.1.1

        If there was anything meritorious or special about it I would probably agree with you. However, I don’t think there is any shortage of ugly old tin sheds. Whether there should be a building put in its place is another argument. However, as it stands the existing building is what bulldozers were designed for.

  8. big bruv 8

    You are right tsmithfield, if ever one needed a reason to bring in the super city mayoralty this is it.

    However, that still will not change the fact that the RWC will be a cause for national embarrassment.

  9. prism 9

    The tourism Manager in Auckland on Nat radio this a.m. said they were expecting 43,000 visitors for The Cup which is a considerable increase on usual and that party central was a good idea to provide hospitality for the numbers.

    McCully should shut up, cough up the small amount of millions Wellington is providing (compared to the more expensive cruiseship terminal originally in the scheme about $100 million) and let Auckland get on with this cheaper option they have decided on.

    Trouble is pollies get grand nation (and self) promoting ideas, cf Greece and the Olympics, and normal spending caution gets mislaid. I think its another hat peg – Tolley has one for her imagined tiara, and McCully for his crown? Rugby Shield, Cup?

  10. prism 10

    I like the cartoon. Did I hear that vuvuzelas are going to be banned? (Hopefully)

  11. Anne 11

    Have been listening on and off to ZB Radio this morning. Paul Holmes (standing in for the climate denier supremo, Leighton Smith) is behaving like the philistine he is. All the blame for the Queen’s Wharf fiasco is being placed on the shoulders of the ARC and Mike Lee in particular. It’s got personal, and the viciousness is appalling. No balance… no acknowledgment that the original idea was just one of Key’s distraction tactics at the time, and had nothing to do with ARC.

    The Historic Places Trust is copping it too. The caustic comments are so outrageous I think someone from the HPT should be ringing him pronto. Stopped listening. Can’t take any more of his distorted ravings.

  12. walter 12

    I’m travelling to a foreign land for an event, do I want to:

    a) spend my time in a ‘manufactured’ facility rubbing shoulders with other visitors?

    OR

    b) sample the genuine, Kiwi hospitality of a range authentic local venues?

  13. Fisiani 13

    Place the blame where it belongs.
    The Auckland Regional Council claiming that delapidated sheds were worth spending $17,000,000 of ratepayers money on

  14. Anne 14

    @ Fisiani
    Ring Paul Holmes on ZB. You’ll get a sympathetic hearing. One philistine talking to another…

  15. tsmithfield 15

    Anne, just because buildings can be saved doesn’t mean they should be. Tell me, what is particularly meritorious about these buildings that makes them worth saving above other deserving cases? The way some people are going on here it gives the impression that the buildings are cathedrals or something. But they’re not. They’re ugly old tin sheds of which the world has plenty.

    • Anne 15.1

      @ tsmithfield
      Typical of a philistine attitude. You can’t see beyond the “ugly old tin shed” to their historical and hereditary significance. Shed 10 (the one in contention) doesn’t have to stay dilapidated and ugly.
      Fremantle, Perth did a marvellous job with their “ugly old tin sheds” and they are now a huge tourist attraction. We could do the same with at least the larger of the sheds. But that is too much for the likes of Key and McCully to possibly comprehend.

      @ Lanthanide.
      Yes you’re right. The HPT should have come up with their concerns much sooner, but better late than never.

      • comedy 15.1.1

        What is their historical and hereditary significance ?

        Is it worth 16 million more for the long suffering ratepayer ?

      • tsmithfield 15.1.2

        Now Anne, can you honestly say with your hand on your heart that this is the best way for the council to spend 17 million?

  16. comedy 16

    For those out of Auckland this is what the fuss is about.

    http://joelcayford.blogspot.com/2009/07/queens-wharf-site-visit-shed-10.html

    Feel free to make fun of us up in Auckland, although I hear that planning in Christchurch is almost as retarded as up here.

    • tsmithfield 16.1

      Comedy, I’m from Christchurch, and I’d agree. Planning here is pretty retarded.

      I had a look at those pictures you posted and I think I’ve run out of adjectives to describe how ugly those buildings look. Perhaps the council wants to save them to preserve an example of the most ugly buildings that humans could possibly dream up.

      • comedy 16.1.1

        I think part of the process of being an elected official is total frontal lobotomisation along with the insertion of a troughing and stupidity central programming device.

        • tsmithfield 16.1.1.1

          I think that getting into power infects them with some sort of PC virus that convinces them that if anything is old, ugly, and about to fall over it urgently needs millions of ratepayers dollars spent to save it. Who cares about basic council functions such as sewage, water, etc.

    • felix 16.2

      After seeing those photos actually I can see what the fuss is about.

      Quite a stunning space.

      • tsmithfield 16.2.1

        I agree. It would be a stunning “space”…. if that was all to it:- a space with no ugly buildings on it.

  17. Tui 17

    Will they have Water Police cruising around Key’s ‘Party Central’ to fish out bedraggled drunks and celebrities who cannot keep it down after falling off the dock in a fit of patriotic over-enthusiasm ?

    • big bruv 17.1

      How is it Key’s party central?

      Mallard signed the deal to bring the RWC to NZ, having a “party central” was always part of the deal.

      This issue is not political, it is simply another example of how piss poor we are as a race of people at organising anything.

      • felix 17.1.1

        was always part of the deal.

        Let’s think about those words, bludge – “was always part of the deal.”

        Pay your bill, bludger.

    • tsmithfield 17.2

      Nah…. thats part of the plan. A way of selecting out the defective genes from the population.

      A reply to Tui, by the way. Don’t know why the comment appeared here.

  18. randal 18

    typical national.
    they always wanta piss up on someone elses money.
    they want the best so they can trash it and walk away feeling satisfied.

    • big bruv 18.1

      Ha ha….”they always wanta piss up on someone elses money.”

      Pledge card anybody????

      • felix 18.1.1

        Speaking of other people’s money, you’re holding $100 of it.

        Pay up you bludger.

  19. Pat 19

    Just about every farm in NZ has an old tin shed on it. Why are the Historic Places Trust sitting on their hands?

    • tsmithfield 19.1

      Yeah. There are lots of councils wasting money on sewage, roading, and water that could be spending it on rescuing old tin sheds. They need to be getting their priorities right.

      • felix 19.1.1

        Need to see some pricing before taking those statements too seriously.

        The choice to be made isn’t “Sewerage & roading” VS “Fixing up old sheds” –

        It’s “Knocking down old sheds and building build new sheds” VS “Fixing up old sheds”.

    • Pat 19.2

      Isn’t the logical solution to remove the sheds, in pieces, to another location for restoration, and erect the temporary slug on the wharf for Party Central.

      Then after the World Cup, remove the shed pieces from their iodine solution (or whatever) and re-erect them for tourists to make comparisons against Sydney’s Opera House.

  20. Tui 20

    The Sydney Olympic party scene was pretty decentralised among the bars and restaurants of Darling Harbour, although they did construct a temporary ‘party place’ creatively using tarpaulins and 4×2 under the western off-ramp where a lot of winning athletes came to socialise and recover from their prolonged physical and psychological build-up. It seemed to attract all manner of young things, some people trying to keep a low profile, and a few well-known Aotearoans.

    But there was nothing as grandiose as ‘Party Central’ – a reflection of NACT’s small-town stalinist tendencies.

    How is it Key’s party central? He’s the PM.

  21. ianmac 21

    The sheds look a bit scuffy but on seeing the interior beams and so on there is scope for much individualistic identity. I imagine that the cladding can be beautified and beams stained and toilets put in and so on. Also the “party goers” will not be interested much in the cladding.
    I came and went through the huge Dubai airport several times recently and had no idea what the outside was like until I saw it from about 3km away. It looks like a huge –ummm slug!

    • comedy 21.1

      ianmac it will cost an additional shiteload on top of the currently proposed fiasco to do up these sheds – I take it oyou are not a local ratepayer ?

      • Pascal's bookie 21.1.1

        You’re pretty sucky at pretending to be ‘not-hs’.

      • mickysavage 21.1.2

        But you can erect a really expensive tent and then take it down. Or you could renovate a slightly more expensive building for use in the future. As an Auckland ratepayer I wish they would think about the long term effect.

    • felix 21.2

      Exactly ianmac – they’re just a bit scruffy.

      No reason to destroy them just to put up more tacky rubbish.

      ts and comedy would’ve knocked over the Vic Park markets too, no doubt.

    • Richard 21.3

      Yep. The sheds could be really good if some money was actually spent on them.

      For example, the Chelsea market in New York is built inside a renovated factory of similar(ish) vintage to the waterfront sheds. It looks really good, and is similar to what I imagine could be done with the sheds. See the images at this link for an idea of what of the Chelsea market looks like.

      Real cities can manage this sort of thing. And, as others have commented, Auckland did manage something similar in the past with the Victoria Park markets.

      • prism 21.3.1

        Great style at Chelsea. Probably flasher than we need for robust men like Andy Haden.
        This is what Chelsea market has –
        Check the calendar for events, or swing by everyday for fresh sushi and a chocolate-almond croissant. Sip a little cappuccino in a free Wi-Fi environment, decorated with stone sculptures, a new façade, copper walls, a rotating photo gallery and an indoor waterfall. Then pick up your meat, produce, wine, cheese, bread, flowers, and everything else you might …

        And they remember their past business history which affected the greats and grand parents. It was where the oreo cookie started (now in my supermarket) and where NABISCO was formed, a giant biscuit compamy that bought out our Griffins in the 1960’s.

        The old sheds at the wharf mighn’t be flash emough in the opiniom of today’s fashionistas and techno kids but they too have a history that is relevant to us now.

  22. Pascal's bookie 22

    “How is it Key’s party central?”

    Here’s how

    • Jim Nald 22.1

      I’m not sure it is do-able for Messrs Key, McCully, Bobo et al. That is far more ambitious than launching a new pizza.

    • BLiP 22.2

      From your link:

      “I see Queen’s Wharf as the cornerstone of this Rugby World Cup phase of the waterfront development.”

      Other projects include the redevelopment of the Jellicoe St and North Wharf area, planning for a Marine Events Centre and the Halsey St extension wharf at Viaduct Harbour.

      The developments will leave a “legacy of infrastructure that will enhance the visitor experience long after the cheers have faded and the scores are forgotten”.

      It will also help bring New Zealand out of the recession, Mr Key said.

      Key is just such a dick!

      • Jim Nald 22.2.1

        And if I were to swallow that, I would be a greater dick.
        Hello New Zealand?

  23. Mr Shennanigans 23

    Has anyone explained why you can’t have Party Central in Shed 10?

  24. Anne 24

    As ARC Councillor, Joel Cayford said on Radio NZ yesterday “Murray McCully is behaving like a bull at a gate. He thinks his idea must take precedence over everyone else”. I won’t say what I think of that man – it’s unprintable.

    • Mr Shennanigans 24.1

      Which man – McCully or Cayford?

      • Anne 24.1.1

        I asked for that Mr Shennanigans. 🙂
        Suffice to say have never liked the one beginning with M.

        Note to self: check before you submit.

  25. I dreamed a dream 25

    It is John Key who created the whole debacle, because he so desperately wanted people to think that Party Central was all his fantastic visionary idea. But what he kept from the public, or at least it wasn’t clearly made known, was that a party central was part of the contractual agreement for NZ to host the RWC. Well, I did not realise that it was part of the contractual agreement. I thought it was Key’s idea.

    I thought it was Key’s idea until I read what Murray McCully said, “We have to provide a fan zone in downtown Auckland for those who can’t get to the games, that’s part of our contractual obligation to the IRB (International Rugby Board).”

    A fan zone (or party central) has always been part of the agreement with the IRB, most likely before Key even became prime minister. Well, Key wanted the glory as the architect of the party central. Now he can take the custard too.

    If he had not tried to hijack the party central and impose his ideas on it, everything would likely have worked out fine. But he just had to mess it up!

  26. Luke.xensen 26

    The IRB contract did not require using Queens Wharf as party central. That was a Key directive.
    Auckland City were all set to use the newly refurbished Aotea Square as party central.
    Can’t see how spending $7million on a temporary structure offers good value for money.
    Theres plenty of room for ultra modern buildings at the Viaduct/Tank Farm.
    Good to keep some character in at least one part of Auckland.

  27. I cannot believe how insanely stupid “Party Central” is.

    1. It is meant to be a family friendly place sponsored by Heineken.

    2. It is promoted by a private enterprise supporting Government but it will suck patrons and turnover away from nearby businesses.

    3. The ARC is being criticised for being “short sighted” but for a huge price the Government intends to demolish a building with potential future use so they can erect a tent.

    4. The expectation is that a thriving sophisticated business will be set up in 12 months time and that it will then be able to be wound up in 14 months time.

    Am I missing something?

    • loota 27.1

      Oh, don’t be like that. Party central will give us the valuable event experience needed to organise and hold the Olympics in 2016. And we should put McCully in charge of that, too.

    • BLiP 27.2

      Am I missing something?

      It’ll be freezing cold, over priced, full of rugby boofheads, miles from parking/transport, and the last place a parent would want to take their kids to watch the footie.

    • big bruv 27.3

      Micky

      “I cannot believe how insanely stupid “Party Central’ is.”

      On this we agree, although, funnily enough I do not remember you saying anything about it when the Labour government and the NZRU signed up to host the RWC.

      As for the RWC, can anybody tell me why our leaders (be they Labour or National) think it is a good idea to give our money to the duplicitous NZRU so they can host a minor world championship?

      If Rugby wants to host the RWC then good for them, just do not ask Kiwis to pay for it then shut them out of the final (in a stadium they bloody well paid for) by charging prices that the ordinary bloke can never hope to pay.

      • comedy 27.3.1

        “can anybody tell me why our leaders (be they Labour or National) think it is a good idea to give our money to the duplicitous NZRU so they can host a minor world championship?”

        Because they are populist morons.

      • felix 27.3.2

        big bludge,

        You are in no position to comment on the honouring of agreements.

        You are also in no position to comment on monetary payment.

        Until you pay your debt you are voiding any comment you make on such matters.

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  • Bernard's Dawn Chorus and pick 'n' mix for Friday, June 14
    Seymour said lower speed limits “drained the joy from life as people were forced to follow rules they knew made no sense.” File Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, June 14 were:The National/ACT/NZ First ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Friendly but frank talks with China Premier
    It sounded like the best word to describe yesterday’s talks between Chinese Premier Li Qiang and his heavyweight delegation of Ministers and officials and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and New Zealand Ministers and officials was “frank.” But it was the kind of frankness that friends can indulge in. It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #24 2024
    Open access notables Wildfire smoke impacts lake ecosystems, Farruggia et al., Global Change Biology: We introduce the concept of the lake smoke-day, or the number of days any given lake is exposed to smoke in any given fire season, and quantify the total lake smoke-day exposure in North America from 2019 ...
    4 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: China’s message to New Zealand – don’t put it all at risk
    Don’t put it all at risk. That’s likely to be the take-home message for New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in his meetings with Li Qiang, the Chinese Premier. Li’s visit to Wellington this week is the highest-ranking visit by a Chinese official since 2017. The trip down under – ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    4 days ago
  • The Real Thing
    I know the feelingIt is the real thingThe essence of the soulThe perfect momentThat golden momentI know you feel it tooI know the feelingIt is the real thingYou can't refuse the embraceNo?Sometimes we face the things we most dislike. A phobia or fear that must be confronted so it doesn’t ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on how moderates empower the political right
    Struth, what a week. Having made sure the rural sector won’t have to pay any time soon for its pollution, PM Christopher Luxon yesterday chose Fieldays 2024 to launch a parliamentary inquiry into rural banking services, to see how the banks have been treating farmers faced with high interest rates. ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Dawn Chorus and pick 'n' mix for Thursday, June 13
    In April, 17,656 people left Aotearoa-NZ to live overseas, averaging 588 a day, with just over half of those likely to have gone to Australia. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, June 13 ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Our guide to having your say on the draft RLTP 2024
    Auckland’s draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2024 is open for feedback – and you only have until Monday 17 June to submit. Do it! Join the thousands of Aucklanders who are speaking up for wise strategic investment that will dig us out of traffic and give us easy and ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    5 days ago
  • The China puzzle
    Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrives in Wellington today for a three-day visit to the country. The visit will take place amid uncertainty about the future of the New Zealand-China relationship. Li hosted a formal welcome and then lunch for then-Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in Beijing a year ago. The pair ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Fossil fuels are shredding our democracy
    This is a re-post of an article from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler published on June 3, 2024. I have an oped in the New York Times (gift link) about this. For a long time, a common refrain about the energy transition was that renewable energy needed to become ...
    5 days ago
  • Life at 20 kilometres an hour
    We are still in France, getting from A to B.Possibly for only another week, though; Switzerland and Germany are looming now. On we pedal, towards Budapest, at about 20 km per hour.What are are mostly doing is inhaling a country, loving its ways and its food. Rolling, talking, quietly thinking. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Hipkins is still useless
    The big problem with the last Labour government was that they were chickenshits who did nothing with the absolute majority we had given them. They governed as if they were scared of their own shadows, afraid of making decisions lest it upset someone - usually someone who would never have ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Exercising with the IDF.
    This morning I did something I seldom do, I looked at the Twitter newsfeed. Normally I take the approach of something that I’m not sure is an American urban legend, or genuinely something kids do over there. The infamous bag of dog poo on the front porch, set it on ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Helm Hammerhand Anime: First Pictures and an Old English ‘Hera’
    We have some news on the upcoming War of the Rohirrim anime. It will apparently be two and a half hours in length, with Peter Jackson as Executive Producer, and Helm’s daughter Hera will be the main character. Also, pictures: The bloke in the middle picture is Freca’s ...
    6 days ago
  • Farmers get free pass on climate AND get subsidies
    The cows will keep burping and farting and climate change will keep accelerating - but farmers can stop worrying about being included in the ETS. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: My six things to note in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, June 12 were:The ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Six ideas to secure Te Huia’s Future
    This is a guest post by our friend Darren Davis. It originally appeared on his excellent blog, Adventures in Transitland, which features “musings about public transport and other cool stuff in Aotearoa/ New Zealand and around the globe.” With Te Huia now having funding secure through to 2026, now is ...
    Greater AucklandBy Darren Davis
    6 days ago
  • The methane waka sinks
    In some ways, there may be less than meets the eye to the Government announcement yesterday that the He Waka Eke Noa proposal for farmers to pay for greenhouse gas emissions has been scrapped. The spectre of farmers still having to pay at some point in the future remains. That, ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago
  • At a glance – Does positive feedback necessarily mean runaway warming?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    6 days ago
  • Climate Change: Farmers get what they wanted – for now
    Since entering office, National has unravelled practically every climate policy, leaving us with no effective way of reducing emissions or meeting our emissions budgets beyond magical thinking around the ETS. And today they've announced another step: removing agriculture entirely. At present, following the complete failure of he waka eka noa, ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago
  • Presumed Innocent?
    The blue billionaireDistraction no interactionOr movement outside these glazed over eyesThe new great divideFew fight the tide to be glorifiedBut will he be satisfied?Can we accept this without zoom?The elephant in the roomNot much happens in politics on a Monday. Bugger all in fact. Although yesterday Christopher Luxon found he ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on our doomed love affair with oil and gas
    What if New Zealand threw a fossil fuel party, and nobody came? On the weekend, Resources Minister Shane Jones sent out the invitations and strung up the balloons, but will anyone really want to invest big time in resuming oil and gas exploration in our corner of the planet? Yes, ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    7 days ago
  • Building better housing insights
    This is a guest post by Meredith Dale, senior urban designer and strategist at The Urban Advisory. There’s a saying that goes something like: ‘what you measure is what you value’. An RNZ article last week claimed that Auckland was ‘hurting’ because of a more affordable supply of homes, particularly townhouses ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    7 days ago
  • Putin would be proud of them
    A Prime Minister directs his public service to inquire into the actions of the opposition political party which is his harshest critic. Something from Orban's Hungary, or Putin's Russia? No, its happening right here in Aotearoa: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced the Public Service Commission will launch an ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Resources for debunking common solar and wind myths
    This is a repost from a Yale Climate Connections article by SueEllen Campbell published on June 3, 2024. The articles listed can help you tell fact from fiction when it comes to solar and wind energy. Some statements you hear about solar and wind energy are just plain false. ...
    1 week ago
  • Juggernaut
    Politics were going on all around us yesterday, and we barely noticed, rolling along canal paths, eating baguettes. It wasn’t until my mate got to the headlines last night that we learned there had been a dismayingly strong far right result in the EU elections and Macron had called a ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Numbers Game.
    Respect Existence, Or Expect Resistance? There may well have been 50,000 pairs of feet “Marching For Nature” down Auckland’s Queen Street on Saturday afternoon, but the figure that impresses the Coalition Government is the 1,450,000 pairs of Auckland feet that were somewhere else.IN THE ERA OF DRONES and Artificial Intelligence, ...
    1 week ago
  • Media Link: AVFA on post-colonial blowback.
    Selwyn Manning and I discuss varieties of post colonial blowback and the implications its has for the rise of the Global South. Counties discussed include Palestine/Israel, France/New Caledonia, England/India, apartheid/post-apartheid South Africa and post-colonial New Zealand. It is a bit … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Policy by panic
    Back in March, Ombudsman Peter Boshier resigned when he hit the statutory retirement age of 72, leaving the country in the awkward (and legally questionable) position of having him continue as a temporay appointee. It apparently took the entire political system by surprise - as evinced by Labour's dick move ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • PSA: NZ's Richest Company, Zuru, Sucks
    Hi,Today the New Zealand press is breathlessly reporting that the owners of toy company Zuru are officially New Zealand’s wealthiest people: Mat and Nick Mowbray worth an estimated $20 billion between them.While the New Zealand press loses its shit celebrating this Kiwi success story, this is a Webworm reminder that ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • Bernard's Dawn Chorus and pick 'n' mix for Monday, June 10
    TL;DR: The six things to note in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty in the past day to 8:36 pm on Monday, June 10 were:20,000 protested against the Fast-track approval bill on Saturday in Auckland, but PM Christopher Luxon says ‘sorry, but not sorry’ about the need for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • In Defence of Kāinga Ora
    Given the headlines around the recent findings of the ‘independent’ review of Kāinga Ora by Bill English, you might assume this post will be about social housing, Kāinga Ora’s most prominent role. While that is indeed something that requires defending, I want to talk about the other core purpose of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    1 week ago
  • Baby You're A Rich Man
    “How does it feel to beOne of the beautiful peopleNow that you know who you areWhat do you want to beAnd have you traveled very far?Far as the eye can see”Yesterday the ACT party faithful were regaled with craven boasts, sneers, and demands for even more at their annual rally.That ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Stopping a future Labour government from shutting down gas exploration
    A defiant Resources Minister Shane Jones has responded to Saturday’s environmental protests by ending Labour’s offshore oil exploration ban and calling for long-term contracts with any successful explorers. The purpose would be to prevent a future Labour Government from reversing any licence the explorers might hold. Jones sees a precedent ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #23
    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, June 2, 2024 thru Sat, June 8, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is Yale Climate Connection's Resources for debunking common solar and wind myths, by ...
    1 week ago
  • Fission by the river
    This is where we ate our lunch last Wednesday. Never mind your châteaux and castles and whatnot, we like to enjoy a baguette in the shadow of a nuclear power plant; a station that puts out more than twice as much as Manapouri using nothing more than tiny atoms to bring ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Fact Brief – Is the ocean acidifying?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by John Mason in collaboration with members from the Gigafact team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is the ocean acidifying? Acidification of oceans ...
    1 week ago
  • 20,000+ on Queen St.
    The largest protest I ever went on was in the mid 90s. There were 10,000 people there that day, and I’ve never forgotten it. An enormous mass of people, chanting together. Stretching block after block, bringing traffic to a halt.But I can’t say that’s the biggest protest I’ve ever been ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Josh Drummond's Columns
    Hi there,I wanted to put all of Josh Drummond’s Webworm pieces all in one place. I love that he writes for Webworm — and all of these are a good read!David.Why Are So Many “Christians” Hellbent on Being Horrible?Why do so many objectively hideous people declare themselves “Christian”?Meeting the Master ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday soliloquy and weekend Pick ‘n’ Mix for June 8/9
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: On reflection, the six things to note in Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty this week were:The Government-driven freeze in building new classrooms, local roads and water networks in order to save cash for tax cuts is frustrating communities facing massive population ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The no-vision thing
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past somewhat interrupted week. Still on the move!Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • When Journalists are Disingenuous
    Hi,One of the things I like the most about Webworm is to be able to break down the media and journalism a little, and go behind the scenes.This is one of those times.Yesterday an email arrived in my inbox from journalist Jonathan Milne, who is managing editor at Newsroom.I don’t ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • Me, elsewhere: Just say you’ll do the thing
    Wrote something over at 1/200 on a familiar theme of mine: The way we frame the economy as a separate, sacred force which must be sacrificed to, the way we talk about criminals as invaders who must be repelled, the constant othering of people on the benefit, people not in ...
    Boots TheoryBy Stephanie Rodgers
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted
    A nice bit of news today: my 4600-word historical fantasy-horror piece, A Voyage Among the Vandals, has been accepted by Phobica Books (https://www.phobicabooks.co.uk/books) for their upcoming Pirate Horror anthology, Shivering Timbers. This one is set in the Mediterranean, during the mid-fifth century AD. Notable for having one of history’s designated ...
    1 week ago
  • Ministerial conflicts of interest
    Since the National government came to power, it has been surrounded by allegations of conflicts of interest. Firstly, there's the fast-track law, which concentrates power in the hands of three Ministers, some of whom have received donations from companies whose projects they will be deciding on. Secondly, there's the close ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • The 2024 Budget Forecasts Are Gloomy Prognosis About The Next Three Years.
    There was no less razzamatazz about the 2024 Budget than about earlier ones. Once again the underlying economic analysis got lost. It deserves more attention.Just to remind you, the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU), is the Treasury’s independent assessment and so can be analysed by other competent economists (although ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A government that can't see twenty feet ahead
    There are two failings that consistently characterise a National government. One is a lack of imagination, the other is their willingness to look after their mates, no matter what harm it might do to everyone else.This is how we come to have thousands of enormous trucks carving up our roads. ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 weeks ago
  • A post I hope is incorrect
    In May, we learned that National MP David MacLeod had "forgotten" to declare $178,000 in electoral donations. Filing a donation return which is false in any material particular is a crime, and the Electoral Commission has now referred MacLeod to police, since they're the only people who are allowed to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 weeks ago
  • Māori Cannot Re-Write New Zealand’s Constitution By Stealth.
    The Kotahitanga Parliament 1897: A Māori Parliament – at least in the guise of a large and representative body dedicated to describing the shape of New Zealand’s future from a Māori perspective – would be a very good idea.THE DEMAND for a “Māori Parliament” needs to be carefully unpicked. Some Pakeha, ...
    2 weeks ago
  • Cowpats and Colonials.
    Dumbtown, is how my friend Gerard refers to people like ZB listeners - he’s not wrong.Normally on a Friday I start by looking at Mike Hosking’s moronic reckons of the week which he vomits down the throats of his audience like helpless baby birds in a nest, grateful for the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 weeks ago
  • Gordon Campbell on cutting the sick leave of vulnerable workers
    Should sick leave be part and parcel of the working conditions from Day One on the job, just like every other health and safety provision? Or should access to sick leave be something that only gradually accumulates, depending on how long a worker has been on the payroll? If enacted ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    2 weeks ago

  • Making it easier to build granny flats
    The Government has today announced that it is making it easier for people to build granny flats, Acting Prime Minister Winston Peters and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop say. “Making it easier to build granny flats will make it more affordable for families to live the way that suits them ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    12 hours ago
  • High Court Judge appointed
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Auckland King’s Counsel Gregory Peter Blanchard as a High Court Judge. Justice Blanchard attended the University of Auckland from 1991 to 1995, graduating with an LLB (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (English). He was a solicitor with the firm that is now Dentons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Health workforce numbers rise
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says new data released today shows encouraging growth in the health workforce, with a continued increase in the numbers of doctors, nurses and midwives joining Health New Zealand. “Frontline healthcare workers are the beating heart of the healthcare system. Increasing and retaining our health workforce ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government to overhaul firearms laws
    Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee has today announced a comprehensive programme to reform New Zealand's outdated and complicated firearms laws. “The Arms Act has been in place for over 40 years. It has been amended several times – in a piecemeal, and sometimes rushed way. This has resulted in outdated ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government delivers landmark specialist schools investment
    The coalition Government is delivering record levels of targeted investment in specialist schools so children with additional needs can thrive. As part of Budget 24, $89 million has been ringfenced to redevelop specialist facilities and increase satellite classrooms for students with high needs. This includes: $63 million in depreciation funding ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Major health and safety consultation begins
    A substantial consultation on work health and safety will begin today with a roadshow across the regions over the coming months, says Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden.  This the first step to deliver on the commitment to reforming health and safety law and regulations, set out in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Growing the potential of New Zealand’s forestry sector in partnership
    Forestry Minister Todd McClay, today announced the start of the Government’s plan to restore certainty and confidence in the forestry and wood processing sector. “This government will drive investment to unlock the industry’s economic potential for growth,” Mr McClay says. “Forestry’s success is critical to rebuilding New Zealand’s economy, boosting ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government cancels forestry ETS annual service charges for 2023-24
    Annual service charges in the forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will be cancelled for 2023/24, Forestry Minister Todd McClay says. “The sector has told me the costs imposed on forestry owners by the previous government were excessive and unreasonable and I agree,” Mr McClay says. “They have said that there ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech to the LGNZ Infrastructure Symposium
    Introduction Thank you for having me here today and welcome to Wellington, the home of the Hurricanes, the next Super Rugby champions. Infrastructure – the challenge This government has inherited a series of big challenges in infrastructure. I don’t need to tell an audience as smart as this one that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government boosts Agriculture and food trade with China
    Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard welcomed outcomes to boost agricultural and food trade between New Zealand and China. A number of documents were signed today at Government House that will improve the business environment between New Zealand and China, and help reduce barriers, including on infant formula ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ and China launch Services Trade Negotiations
    Trade Minister Todd McClay, and China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, today announced the official launch of Negotiations on Services Trade between the two countries.  “The Government is focused on opening doors for services exporters to grow the New Zealand’s economy,” Mr McClay says.  As part of the 2022 New Zealand-China Free Trade Agreement Upgrade ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Prime Minister Luxon meets with Premier Li
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang at Government House in Wellington today.  “I was pleased to welcome Premier Li to Wellington for his first official visit, which marks 10 years since New Zealand and China established a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Mr Luxon says. “The Premier and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government and business tackling gender pay gap
    The coalition Government is taking action to reduce the gender pay gap in New Zealand through the development of a voluntary calculation tool. “Gender pay gaps have impacted women for decades, which is why we need to continue to drive change in New Zealand,” Acting Minister for Women Louise Upston ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Funding Boost for Rural Support Trusts
    The coalition Government is boosting funding for Rural Support Trusts to provide more help to farmers and growers under pressure, Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson announced today. “A strong and thriving agricultural sector is crucial to the New Zealand economy and one of the ways to support it is to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Latest data shows size of public service decreasing
    Spending on contractors and consultants continues to fall and the size of the Public Service workforce has started to decrease after years of growth, according to the latest data released today by the Public Service Commission. Workforce data for the quarter from 31 December 23 to 31 March 24 shows ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech to the Law Association
    Thank you to the Law Association for inviting me to speak this morning. As a former president under its previous name — the Auckland District Law Society — I take particular satisfaction in seeing this organisation, and its members, in such good heart. As Attorney-General, I am grateful for these ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • 25 years on, NZ reaffirms enduring friendship with Timor Leste
    New Zealand is committed to working closely with Timor-Leste to support its prosperity and resilience, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “This year is the 25th anniversary of New Zealand sending peacekeepers to Timor-Leste, who contributed to the country’s stabilisation and ultimately its independence,” Mr Peters says.    “A quarter ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Inquiry requested into rural banking
    Promoting robust competition in the banking sector is vital to rebuilding the economy, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  “New Zealanders deserve a banking sector that is as competitive as possible. Banking services play an important role in our communities and in the economy. Kiwis rely on access to lending when ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation targets red tape to keep farmers and growers competitive
    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have today announced a regulatory sector review on the approval process for new agricultural and horticultural products.    “Red tape stops farmers and growers from getting access to products that have been approved by other OECD countries. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government to reverse blanket speed limit reductions
    The Coalition Government will reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions by 1 July 2025 through a new Land Transport Rule released for public consultation today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  The draft speed limit rule will deliver on the National-ACT coalition commitment to reverse the previous government’s blanket speed limit ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Chair appointments for NZSO, CNZ and NZ On Air
    Minister Paul Goldsmith is making major leadership changes within both his Arts and Media portfolios. “I am delighted to announce Carmel Walsh will be officially stepping into the role of Chair of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, having been acting Chair since April,” Arts Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Carmel is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government focus on long-term food, fibre growth
    Food and fibre export revenue is tipped to reach $54.6 billion this year and hit a record $66.6b in 2028 as the Government focuses on getting better access to markets and cutting red tape, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay and Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones say. “This achievement is testament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Govt consulting on cutting red tape for exporters
    A new export exemption proposal for food businesses demonstrates the coalition Government’s commitment to reducing regulatory barriers for industry and increasing the value of New Zealand exports, which gets safe New Zealand food to more markets, says Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard.  “The coalition Government has listened to the concerns ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • New Zealand and Philippines elevating relationship
    New Zealand and Philippines are continuing to elevate our relationship, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “The leaders of New Zealand and Philippines agreed in April 2024 to lift our relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership by 2026,” Mr Peters says. “Our visit to Manila this week has been an excellent ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave increase to help families
    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister, Brooke van Velden says paid parental leave increase from 1 July will put more money in the pockets of Kiwi parents and give them extra support as they take precious time off to bond with their newborns. The increase takes effect from 1 July 2024 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Defence increases UN Command commitment
    The number of New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel deployed to the Republic of Korea is increasing, Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced today.  NZDF will deploy up to 41 additional personnel to the Republic of Korea, increasing the size of its contribution to the United ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • New Zealand to attend 'Summit on Peace in Ukraine' in Switzerland
    New Zealand will be represented at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine by Minister Mark Mitchell in Switzerland later this week.    “New Zealand strongly supports Ukraine’s efforts to build a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace,” Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.   “Minister Mitchell is a senior Cabinet Minister and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Big step forward for M.bovis programme
    Farmers’ hard work is paying off in the fight against Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) with the move to a national pest management plan marking strong progress in the eradication effort, says Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard.  “The plan, approved by the Coalition Government, was proposed by the programme partners DairyNZ, Beef ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Build To Rent opening welcomed by Housing Minister
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Housing Minister Chris Bishop formally opened a new Build to Rent development in Mt Wellington this morning. “The Prime Minister and I were honoured to cut the ribbon of Resido, New Zealand’s largest Build to Rent development to date.  “Build to Rent housing, like the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Agriculture to come out of the ETS
    The Government will deliver on its election commitment to take agriculture out of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) and will establish a new Pastoral Sector Group to constructively tackle biogenic methane, Coalition Government Agriculture and Climate Change Ministers say. Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says New Zealand farmers ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Luxon Tokyo-bound for political and business visit
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will travel to Japan from 16-20 June, his first visit as Prime Minister.   “Japan is incredibly important to New Zealand's prosperity. It is the world’s fourth largest economy, and our fourth largest export destination.  “As you know, growing the economy is my number one priority. A strong economy means ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Bayly travels to Singapore for scam prevention meetings
    Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Andrew Bayly, travels to Singapore today to attend scam and fraud prevention meetings. “Scams are a growing international problem, and we are not immune in New Zealand. Organised criminal networks operate across borders, and we need to work with our Asia-Pacific partners to tackle ...
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    1 week ago
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