POAL back to bargaining table

Written By: - Date published: 11:08 am, March 2nd, 2012 - 47 comments
Categories: capitalism, Unions, wages - Tags: ,

4 days into 4 weeks of strikes, Ports of Auckland is back at the bargaining table. From usually docking 4 ships a day, they’ve docked 2 in 4 – 88% reduction. POAL can’t provide service. Ships are going elsewhere in our over-capitalised port system and might not come back. The Council will be screaming blue murder at the loss of revenue and business disruption. How long till management folds?

47 comments on “POAL back to bargaining table ”

  1. fender 1

    “How long till management folds?”

    Tony Gibson needs to be folded into a shoebox and despatched pronto.

    • Hami Shearlie 1.1

      Fender, you do the folding and I’ll do the “despatching”? I promise to wear my brand new jack-boots! LOL

  2. Gosman 2

    “The Council will be screaming blue murder at the loss of revenue and business disruption”

    Yeah because they have been really active in this dispute before now.

    • A fair bit has been happening recently. I am quietly confident that a resolution will happen soon AND the union will remain. If not things will get messy.

      • indiana 2.1.1

        Let a secret ballot be the judge of that…

        • Blighty 2.1.1.1

          their ballots are secret. All unions conduct secret ballots on decisions to strike or accept offers.

          • Yeah /Yeah 2.1.1.1.1

            Rubbish. The members have been calling for a secret ballot and it has been denied. Standing in a single room (pub) in silence putting your hand in the air does not constitute a secret ballot.

            • Frank Macskasy 2.1.1.1.1.1

              “Rubbish. The members have been calling for a secret ballot and it has been denied. Standing in a single room (pub) in silence putting your hand in the air does not constitute a secret ballot.”

              Really? Which Union meeting did you last attend?

            • mickysavage 2.1.1.1.1.2

              Oh Yeah?  Got credible proof? And Slater does not count.

              • Seti

                One News had footage of a MUNZ vote last week which was a show of hands

                • McFlock

                  Was that the strike vote, or just footage of “who wants a sandwich” responses cobbled together with the v/o because it was “action”?

              • Hami Shearlie

                Slater never counts!! LOL

  3. Colonial Viper 3

    Stupid game of attrition. MUNZ is willing to agree to much more flexibility in terms of rosters and crewing, but POAL have got it into their stubborn pig headed corporate brains that smashing the union and casualising the workforce is the only result which counts.

    • burt 3.1

      4 days into 4 weeks of strikes, Ports of Auckland is back at the bargaining table. From usually docking 4 ships a day, they’ve docked 2 in 4

      4 weeks of strikes…. You say MUNZ is willing to agree to much more flexibility yet they have 4 weeks of strikes planned. OK, so there is a non negotiable bargaining point (which takes two stubborn parties to create) and you slate POAL as being stubborn and pig headed. Pot meet kettle!

      • Colonial Viper 3.1.1

        OK, so there is a non negotiable bargaining point

        Not being smashed into non-existance is a perfectly valid non-negotiable bargaining point.

        You say MUNZ is willing to agree to much more flexibility yet they have 4 weeks of strikes planned.

        This must be the set/subset thing that felix always has you on about:

        To clarify: being willing to adopt new work practices does not preclude fighting for the right to survive and have employment stability.

        • burt 3.1.1.1

          It’s irrelevant how we frame it. All two way negotiation impasses require two parties to create. There are jobs to be gained and lost either way.

          This is not survival and to frame it so is inappropriate. Why I say that is; If we are fighting for the workers then combined POAL, The council and MUNZ are the problem – not the solution.

          The most vulnerable in terms of survival are the workers and they seem comfortable agreeing to 4 weeks of strike. It’s a stand off.. not even a fist fight…. nothing like survival.

          • Colonial Viper 3.1.1.1.1

            The destruction of the union and the destruction of permanent employment sounds like a fight to the death to me.

            • burt 3.1.1.1.1.1

              CV

              I though the union was acting on behalf of the workers?

              • RedLogix

                The Union IS the workers…

                • burt

                  So the workers are prepared to stand on principle and are therefore part of the standoff…. That’s their right. But they are one of the parties who’s stubborn pig headed brains won’t accept the other parties stubborn pig headed brains position.

              • Colonial Viper

                So you agree it is a fight to the death then.

                • burt

                  It could easily be, but it takes two parties to be stubborn and pig headed. That’s all I’m saying in this comment thread.

      • Georgecom 3.1.2

        Burt, if POA takes their stated intention of contracting out all the jobs off the table and gets back into serious bargaining I am sure you will see the threat of strike action shelved as well. Have a think about it.

        • burt 3.1.2.1

          I have thought about it Georgecom. If the union are unable to provide services and value for money to the workers in the environment they find themselves in then who’s interest is being served by destroying the port business ?

          • Georgecom 3.1.2.1.1

            Burt, have another think. Why 4 weeks of notified strike action you asked. Why the stated intention from the employer to contract out all jobs. If the latter is withdrawn then I think the former will be cut short. Some more bargaining about the substantive issues can then be done. MUNZ has made offer to POA that are substantial and address many of the companies wants.

  4. Draco T Bastard 4

    The Council will be screaming blue murder at the loss of revenue and business disruption.

    No they won’t. If they were going to do anything about the abuse that PoAL management have been heaping on the workers then they would have done so months ago.

  5. burt 5

    Silver linings ?

    One I see is that the port folds and the land is returned to the Council and…..

    Should we discount all parties (*1) have a lot to gain from this eventuality… who’s really telling the truth about the negotiations?

    *1) All parties being – Parties with a vested interest and influence in the resolution of this dispute.

    Unions – Undoubtedly change of use of this waterfront land would invite a boom in development of some ‘public utility’ kind. Employment in construction etc would be incredible union sub potential via domain dominance.

    Council – Gets to run really cool projects and get lots of lunches from Architects, Planners, Developers, Engineers, Advertising companies and Unions.

    POAL – If they can’t return a viable return under union dominance then they are better deployed doing other things. They are business people not lifers waiting for retirement so they will be involved in the action either way.

    Workers – No real say on an individual level. I pity the ones who just want to work and pay the bills who are caught up in the ideological battle. The whole concept of solidarity creates some perverse unintended consequences between workmates some times. It’s a bit like suddenly finding out your workmate is a Catholic when you’re a Protestant so therefore you can’t be friends anymore. I do genuinely wish the individuals good luck in standing their ground. It’s a brave man who risks his income on an ideological concept of employee bargaining.

    • Colonial Viper 5.1

      who are caught up in the ideological battle.

      Actually, an ideological war waged by POAL management and Board against their own workers.

      on an ideological concept of employee bargaining.

      You’re a fucktard right? Collective employee bargaining is as “ideological”as the collective dairy supply union (Fonterra).

      Acting in concert as a group, works.

      • burt 5.1.1

        Still an ideological battle. My point was some workers possibly just want to earn their wages and enjoy their lives – but solidarity has drawn them into an ideological battle. It’s their choice to risk up to 4 weeks continuous pay. They clearly feel strongly that the way it works now is how it must stay. Good on them.

        • felix 5.1.1.1

          “Still an ideological battle. “

          Yep, if you think “decent wages and working conditions” is an ideology.

          • burt 5.1.1.1.1

            The ideology felix is inherent in the dogmatic instance that the current way is the only way that they can cling to wages and working conditions. Sorry it is. I’m not judging it – I’m just pointing to it.

            • RedLogix 5.1.1.1.1.1

              So burt, surely your not suggesting that the right way to get better wages and conditions is to… accept poorer ones?

              But on reflection perhaps I can see perhaps some wisdom in this. After reducing their workers to a truly miserable pittance PoAL management will look at their own incomes in the order of many hundred’s of thousands, get overcome with remorse and guilt and then insist their worker accept massive pay rises to compensate.

              Am I on to it burt?

              • burt

                RedLogix

                When it’s heading toward ‘better than now’ or ‘none’ – ideology is what maintains the fight. Reason dictates compromise, nothing stays the same for ever. So it’s ideology and/or deep pockets… and who knows what to believe about what POAL workers actually earn.

                • RedLogix

                  burt,

                  You really are forgetful. Some time back we showed quite clearly that PoAL was similarly efficient to PoT from a wages perspective.

                  All the rightwing idiots merely compared the Auckland wage bill with the Tauranga bill and left out the contracting costs at Tauranga. And then they declared Tauranga the winner!!!. That’s utter dishonesty; when if you compare the two ports on an apples for apples basis their total labour costs and efficiencies are very, very similar.

                  The big difference is that Auckland has been paying too much dividend to it’s owners and is carrying too much debt which makes it less profitable. Combine that with the Council now demanding a rapacious 12% return on asset, and a management encouraged by a blatantly anti-worker government clearly happy to see wages drop and unions destroyed, is using this window of opportunity to lash out at its workers. Very old grudges being settled here.

                  If you think that the best way for capitalists to make theirs profits is to drive wages down, then your version of capitalism burt is an amoral failure. This is pure ideological class warfare alright. Keep pushing though, you’ll get a reaction.

      • burt 5.1.2

        CV

        Acting in concert as a group, works.

        Can you rationalise you comment that Fonterra works (for consumers rather than for Fonterra and farmers) with the position that we pay a shit load for Dairy products in NZ.

        Are you saying that expensive freight costs via POAL are justification for keeping the union viable in the same way high Dairy prices maintain Fonterras and the farmers balance sheets ?

  6. (Haven’t yet heard back from the Office of the Auditor-General…….)

    “1 March 2012

    OPEN LETTER TO THE OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR-GENERAL: (RE: Requirement in Auckland Council Investments Ltd (ACIL) Statement of Intent for Ports of Auckland to have an increase in Return On Equity (ROE) from 6% – 12% as a Public Benefit Entity (PBE).

    1) Ports of Auckland Ltd is a 100% subsidiary of Auckland Council Investments Ltd (ACIL) – a Council Controlled Organisation.

    The governing document of ACIL is the Statement of Intent, agreed to between Auckland Council and ACIL.

    If both Auckland Council and ACIL are PUBLIC BENEFIT ENTITIES (PBEs) – not PROFIT-ORIENTED ENTITIES (POEs) – how can it be lawful for the ACIL Statement of Intent to require a Return On Equity (ROE) increase from 6 – 12%?

    2) If, at the time of drawing up the above-mentioned ACIL Statement of Intent, neither Auckland Council nor ACIL had it confirmed that ACIL was in fact a PUBLIC BENEFIT ENTITY (PBE) – how can how can it be lawful for the ACIL Statement of Intent to require a Return On Equity (ROE) increase from 6 – 12%?

    What can and will the Office of the Auditor-General do about this – which is a matter of considerable public interest?

    BACKGROUND RESEARCH AT END OF THIS POST:

    Penny Bright
    ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’

    Attendee: Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference 2009
    Attendee: Transparency International Anti-Corruption Conference 2010”

    • burt 6.1

      Penny

      In this case I hope your assertions are correct. If they are you deserve your title ‘Anti-corruption campaigner’.

      I feel the inaction of the Council in this matter points to a bigger picture. It makes sense that there are bigger games at play given the locale of the real estate involved.

      Be bold, if you have found a technical hitch in a hidden agenda then your road will be rough.

      Imagine Labour re-elected. Mallard gets to build his stadium where the port currently is. You can stop this Penny, you can keep the port if your assertions are correct.

  7. REQUEST FOR ‘PUBLIC INPUT’ AT AUCKLAND COUNCIL CCO STRATEGY REVIEW SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING – WEDNESDAY 7 MARCH 2012:

    “29 February 2012

    OPEN LETTER/ Request for Public Input at CCO Strategy Review Sub-Cttee meeting
    to be held on Wednesday 7 March 2012
    at 1.30pm Auckland Town Hall

    Dear Judith,

    My subject matter will be how two Public Benefit Entities (PBEs), namely Auckland Council and Auckland Council Investment Ltd (ACIL) can have as an agreed requirement in the ACIL Statement of Intent, an increase in the Return On Equity (ROE) for Ports of Auckland Ltd (100% subsidiary of ACIL) from 6% to 12%, and related matters.

    Kind regards,

    Penny Bright
    ________________________________________________________________________

    ‘PUBLIC INPUT’ REQUEST GRANTED:

    “Judith.Moore@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

    Thank you Penny

    You will be asked to speak for 5 minutes during our ‘Public Input’ section, which is Item 5 of the agenda.
    The agenda will be up on the website on Friday, 2 March.

    You will receive email advice when it is live on the website.
    Many thanks.

    Here also is the answer to your question regarding Statement of Intent AC & ACIL:

    “The legal process is that the council is required to agree to the SOIs of CCOs rather than sign them.
    ACIL’s SOI was agreed to by the CCO Strategy Review Subcommittee at its meeting of 26 July 2011. The SOI was subsequently updated by ACIL and agreed to by the Accountability and Performance Committee (the parent committee of CCO Strategy Review) at its meeting of 9 November 2011.

    Regards

    Catherine Syme

    Principal Advisor, CCO Governance and Monitoring.”
    ______________________________________________________________________

  8. Jenny 8

    No change on fundamental issues; urgent action now required.

    Ports of Auckland Ltd, 2 March, 2012

    Ports of Auckland update

    These idiots still don’t get it.

    They intend to go ahead with their plan to contract the union off the wharves.

    What is the urgent action?

    A lockout?

    Legal action?

    Dismissal notices for all union members and full mobilisation of non-union contractors onto the ports?

    All three?

    Anything, is possible from these lunkheads except it seems, negotiation with the union in good faith.

    Why doesn’t the Mayor do or say something?

  9. Wharfie 9

    Let’s get it straight POA has no wish to negotiate.The focus is the same as AFFCO removal of union influence on the wharves and indentured serfs for employees at their beck and call.The Union has tried to table many flexibilities only to be told yes that will do it but no we want the lot.This is a pre-amble to privatisation of the Port,investment potential for overseas interests and Gibsons rich mates.I wonder how many shares $750k will buy.Len Brown has gone dog and is in denial there is a problem.Why didn’t he accept the resignation of the board if he didn’t already have a position.At least Shearer had the balls to turn up to the picket.$500 million in returns since 2006 and a one off special divedend of $127 million that’s some serious money.This local revenue will be lost with outsourcing the Port who is going to pick up the lost returns let alone the revenue that has already been lost.Auckland rate payers need to ask some serious questions inparticular by what mandate  was the board given to put aside $9 million dollars to hire two Union busters.Rod Lingard and John Mayson to wage a campaign against it’s employees.The unions position is to do what ever it takes to defend 320 workingfamilies rights to a secure future.

  10. Jenny 10

    A multi-party effort to settle the ports dispute?

    A good idea by Harawira to end the Ports dispute. Will he get buy in from any of the political parties for it?

    Mana Party leader Hone Harawira is approaching leaders of Labour, NZ First and the Greens.
    “Len’s the mayor so he has a big influence on decisions down at the ports,” Mr Harawira said on Thursday.
    “I’m proposing that the leaders of parties who have expressed support for the workers get together.”

    None of the political parties approached by Harawira, that had expressed support for the port workers, have as yet responded to his call.

  11. Jenny 11

    If Harawira’s multiparty delegation to the Mayor, does get buy in from the Greens, Labour and New Zealand First, it would be hard for Mayor Brown to ignore and blithely carry on doing nothing.

  12. Jenny 12


    Waterside dispute spreads to other cities.

    The industrial action at the Port of Auckland is spreading to other cities, as workers at Centreport Wellington are refusing to move containers on the Maersk Aberdeen because non-union staff worked the ship when it was docked in Auckland……

    …..“Make the vessel leave the Port of Wellington, send it back to Auckland, get it loaded by union labour and then it can go on its merry way,” says Maritime Union General Secretary, Joe Fleetwood.
    A protest was also staged early this morning outside the Port of Tauranga, where another ship, Irene’s Remedy, will dock when the weather clears.

  13. KJT 13

    Those who are concerned about cheap exploited labour on fishing boats should also look at ships like the Mearsk Aberdeen.
     
    The Mearsk Aberdeen has been carrying NZ coastal cargo up and down the coast for some time.
     
    The crew are not employed under NZ labour laws and/or NZ wages. Taking NZ jobs, undercutting wages  and making our balance of payments worse.
     
    ALSO LIKE The Rena, Mearsk Aberdeen, is under a flag of convenience. (FOC).
     
    The whole point of running a ship under a FOC is so the shipping company can save money by cutting corners. They save the money and we take the risks.
     
     
     
     

  14. Jenny 14


    Port of Wellington takes court action to force union members to unload a ship loaded by strike breakers.

    The action could have serious repercussions for the union, as the Centreport bosses are arguing that this is a breach of the collective agreement that they have with the union. Which is illegal under the ERA

    However; As the saying goes: “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander”.

    The union could have a very strong argument in the precedent set by the Ports of Auckland management, who have been illegally forcing contracting out on the ports of Auckland workers, during the term of their last collective agreement.

    POAL are now demanding that their immoral and illegal behaviour should now be written into any new collective contract to legitimise it.

    If the courts finds against MUNZ for taking action during the term of a collective contract, then they must also find against POAL management for their actions during the term of a collective contract.

    Instead of indulging in expensive litigation with the public’s money, Centreport management should just tell Ports of Auckland not to send any ships loaded by strike breakers to Wellington.

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    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Two bar blues
    The thing about life’s little victories is that they can be followed by a defeat.Reader Darryl told me on Monday night:Test again Dave. My “head cold” last week became COVID within 24 hours, and is still with me. I hear the new variants take a bit longer to show up ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 13
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Angus Deaton on rethinking his economics IMFLocal scoop: The people behind Tamarind, the firm that left a $500m cleanup bill for taxpayers at Taranaki’s Tui oil well, are back operating in Taranaki under a different company name. Jonathan ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
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