Police Association offers a recipe for dead cops

Written By: - Date published: 12:35 pm, January 13th, 2013 - 122 comments
Categories: crime, police - Tags:

In December, a cop had his taser taken off him and fired at him. The Police Association said the solution is for cops to be armed. Judith Collins got it right, “if that was a gun [not a Taser] we’d probably be going to a funeral, actually, for a police officer”. On Friday, an armed cop had his gun taken off him. The Police Association’s answer: cops should pull their guns earlier.

I don’t know if the Police Association bosses just have some kind of Slater-eqsue violence fantasy fetish and that’s why they call for arming of cops at every opportunity, but the reality is it wouldn’t make them or anyone else safer. Handguns are designed for killing people. Put a tool for killing people into the hands of people who are interacting with members of the public, and more people will be killed. (incidentally, people who have guns in the house are twice as likely to be killed in a firearm homicide)

Regularly armed cops would mean more dead civilians, more dead offenders, and more dead cops. Why the hell would we want that?

122 comments on “Police Association offers a recipe for dead cops ”

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  1. Draco T Bastard 1
    13 January 2013 at 12:39 pm

    It appears that the Police Association is calling for police to be able to use their guns because it would cause less harm:

    The policeman had brought his gun from his car as he thought the situation was threatening, but did not draw it.
    Police Association vice-president Stuart Mills said that if the officer had been able to use his firearm as the primary weapon, offenders would have been less likely to attack and the situation would have been resolved more quickly, and with less harm.

    Which has got to be the worst logic I’ve seen yet. The only thing that would have happened if the officer had drawn his gun would be that someone would have been shot and shooting someone isn’t causing less harm.

    • QoT 1.1
      13 January 2013 at 1:26 pm

      Clearly they edited the bit in his statement saying “with less harm to the ego of police officers.” If a few rowdy partiers have to die for cops to get the respect they deserve then so be it, apparently.

      Incidentally, I note that the officer in question was alone, against five other people. But the Police Association prefers to advocate for increased arming of officers rather than sufficient resourcing to allow all cops to patrol in pairs?

      • higherstandard 1.1.1
        13 January 2013 at 2:15 pm

        “A few rowdy partiers”

        “A police officer who was seriously assaulted by a group of men in Kawhia last night used pepper spray and a taser to try and subdue his attackers.

        The policeman had been set upon by at least five people, who were kicking him as he coiled up in pain on the Kawhia wharf.

        The group took his taser, his radio and his pistol and were only stopped when local firefighters and the public stepped in to intervene.”

        http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/8169825/Police-officer-attacked-in-Kawhia

        I hope they all get five years minimum – feral scum.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1
          13 January 2013 at 2:44 pm

          And how does that relate to the idea that there be enough police officers so that they are in pairs all the time which would be more likely to prevent such incidents and cause less harm than the cops having drawn weapons?

          • McFlock 1.1.1.1.1
            13 January 2013 at 3:01 pm

            Yep.

            Not to mention what the weapons might be used for after the sole police officer is left on the ground.

            Nor to mention the fact that had an officer used their weapon in a perfectly legitimate self defense, it could well have been the officer’s word against those of four or five other people who swore they did nothing wrong and the officer was out of control. I know door-staff who have been in legal strife that way (and that was just for assault, not murder or serious injury).

            Yes, all we need to evaluate the situation is “feral scum” /sarc.

            • higherstandard 1.1.1.1.1.1
              13 January 2013 at 3:17 pm

              Well the fact that the local fire service and members of the public came to the aid of the officer who was attacked from behind and then repeatedly assaulted while on the ground would suggest that those attacking the officer were indeed “feral scum”.

              But of course one would not expect much more from the usual suspects on this site apart from sympathy for those committing the acts of violence as ‘they’re merely the victims of the governments economic policies’ /sarcasm x3

              • McFlock …
                13 January 2013 at 3:27 pm

                Yes. The officer was very lucky that some members of the public were prepared to assist him, what with him not having the assistance of other frontline police staff available and his weaponry not being of any help to him in that situation (indeed, it was a dangerous liability).

                Fortunately, the only issue we need to consider about this specific situation is whether or not the responsible parties qualify for the term “feral scum” /sarcasm x infinity.

                • NF0011 …
                  13 January 2013 at 7:36 pm

                  Why would 2 officers make a difference when going up against people that have no respect for the law and are happy to kick and punch someone curled up in a ball on the ground? Over the Christmas/New Years break we have seen pairs of cops attacked. In Dargaville I believe among other places So whats the answer then? 3 cops? 4 cops? Send the armed defenders and dog squads in for every routine police call out?

                  The problem is police are being sent in to deal with people that have no respect for anyone other than their own family and are willing to attempt to kill someone to protect that family member. Its easy to sit behind a computer and type answers like ‘should always have 2 cops’. Try going out with the cops into these situations and see what they have to deal with. Or have these people attack you and your family. Try being kicked and punched on the ground and see what sort of response you would like to help you. Who would want to join the police knowing that 5 people can kick you with the intent of killing you, 80 people are happy to sit back and watch and you have members of the public not willing to give you the support you need to do your job. Put yourself in the shoes of his family, a family whose husband and father almost didn’t come home that night.

                  Should there be a minimum of 2 cops per shift. Yes. Should the cops not have the right to defend themselves against people who wish them harm? Yes. Pepper Spray and a taser didn’t help. Had the officer the right to draw his gun (which he was carrying) before entering the situation, I’m sure this lovely gentleman and his family would have had a much claimer reaction to him.

                  • QoT …
                    13 January 2013 at 8:45 pm

                    Why would 2 officers make a difference when going up against people that have no respect for the law and are happy to kick and punch someone curled up in a ball on the ground?

                    Because it’s much harder to do that when the person you’re trying to kick and punch (a) isn’t as much of a target because they’re not on their own (b) has a partner who can draw their pepper spray or taser even if you’ve jumped their mate (c) has a partner who can radio for backup even though you’ve taken the first cop’s radio and taser and gun away.

                    Being confronted with two officers instead of one is simply a different psychological and practical situation.

                  • McFlock …
                    13 January 2013 at 9:04 pm

                    So more cops isn’t the answer, police should just attend “every routine police call out” with drawn firearms? Somehow I’m not sure that your solution would protect police or even the citizens who came to his aid.

                    edit: how about rather than having no other assistance than to wear his firearm, the officer could have called for back-up as soon as he recognised the situation as being dicey, and received it in a reasonable time?

                  • Colonial Viper …
                    14 January 2013 at 12:07 am

                    Why would 2 officers make a difference when going up against people that have no respect for the law and are happy to kick and punch someone curled up in a ball on the ground?

                    You’re not thinking tactically, NF0011, you’re thinking emotionally.

                    Which makes the rest of your comment worse than ignorant, it’s dangerous.

                  • fustercluck …
                    14 January 2013 at 12:05 pm

                    Does the phrase “I got your back” resonate for you?

                    It is much harder to sucker punch a well trained pair than it is to sneak up on a cop with eyes on only one side of his head.

                    Additionally, a pair would have made a timely distress call more likely even if they were both swiftly engaged by ‘feral’ attackers.

                    Having grown up in the USA and having the pleasure of both being approached by cops with their hands on their weapons and even (once) having a cop point their handgun at me, I can assure you that a ‘gun first’ policy is not going to do anything to reduce violence against the public or the cops themselves. Sure, I was polite as hell and kept my hands visible, but all to often the criminals emulate the cops shoot first approach resulting in the avoidable carnage for which the USA is all too famous.

                  • McFlock …
                    13 January 2013 at 8:04 pm

                    Indeed. And in half of those incidents, at least one weapon was taken off the police officer and in one case someone tried to use the officer’s weapon against him. Luckily it wasn’t a point and click glock.

                    So the question remains: why is the police association demanding wider distribution of firearms, rather than more frontline officers to support each other responding to incidents? Any thoughts? Are they just gun-happy “ferals”?

                    • higherstandard …
                      13 January 2013 at 8:24 pm

                      I think you’ll find the police association would like both.

                      But keep going i’m sure you’ll get to the point of reduction to the point of absurdity demanding that the police carry no protection and that all such violent acts directed at the police, ambulance officers and the like is the governments fault.

                    • felixviper …
                      13 January 2013 at 8:30 pm

                      I’m sure you realise that you just did the absurd reduction there hs while building your preemptive strawman.

                    • McFlock …
                      13 January 2013 at 9:12 pm

                      The police association might want both, but somehow their gun solution seems to be the one that gets emphasised.

                      They might just have shit media management. Or O’Connor might have a gun fetish.

              • mike e vipe e …
                14 January 2013 at 7:26 pm

                Drunken bystaders watch as drunken drugged thugs take to cop Collins and her govt were going to get tough on gangs yeah right!
                Collins said that alcohol is the biggest single issue for police, using 50% of police time!
                National slap Alcohol sector with wet bus ticket!
                User pays I thought Nactional were a user pays Govt!
                Nactional continue to allow taxpayer to subsidize Alcohol abuse!

      • David H 1.1.2
        13 January 2013 at 7:26 pm

        And how long until a cop loses his drawn gun? And has it used against him, and other cops. Or even worse, an innocent member of the public.

        It’s bad enough that the cops get away with shooting innocent bystanders ( AK motorway)
        But how will they say sorry, because one of them LOST his gun. And an innocent is killed by it.

        And the Americans have proven that an armed cop is pretty useless, if the amount of shots fired, in relation to the offenders hit, is anything to go by. Because they get all Rambo, and just blaze away with scant regard for where their wild firing sends their bullets.

        Get them to patrol in Pairs And link ALL guns to Camera’s just like the Tasers.
        And leave the guns to those PROPERLY TRAINED in their use

        • McFlock 1.1.2.1
          13 January 2013 at 8:51 pm

          last I heard was that putting microelectrics into handguns wasn’t very reliable due to the recoil forces. Takes its toll after a while. Might change a bit soon, though.

          • Draco T Bastard 1.1.2.1.1
            14 January 2013 at 3:23 pm

            Yep, it does but those electronics are cheap to replace even today. Personally, I think that the police should have cameras mounted in their uniforms and on all the time – not just as part of the gun/taser regulations.

  2. kiwicommie 2
    13 January 2013 at 1:36 pm

    It is business as usual under National and the MSM Draco. They refuse to tell the true cause of this, which would likely be a direct result of National’s economic policies i.e. joblessness, poverty and hopelessness. If they were drunk, why were they drunk. If they attacked the police, they had to have a reason. Unless the case is picked up by the MSM, unfortunately we will never know.

  3. Brett Dale 3
    13 January 2013 at 3:47 pm

    They’re called the police, not cops.

    Show respect please.

  4. Frank 4
    13 January 2013 at 5:40 pm

    HOW TO AVOID BAD POLICING. (KAWHIA STYLE)

    1. WHEN OUT NUMBERED RETREAT.

    2.TRY NOT TO LOOK TOUGH BY STRAPPING A SIDE ARM ON, AND NOT BEING PREPARED TO USE IT.

    3. ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FATHER BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO ARREST SON WHEN EVERYONE ELSE EXCEPT YOU ARE PISSED AND PROBABLY WILL TAKE OFFENCE.

    4.DON’T BE A HERO.

    5.GET BACKUP (THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AIN’T IT).

    6.AS A SOLE CONSTABLE SOME COMMUNITY POLICING WOULD HAVE PAID OFF.

    7.REMEMBER SONNY, THAT YOU ARE A POLICEMAN, NOT A GANG MEMBER.

    8. AND. IT’S REALLY HARD TO ESCAPE FROM KAWHIA.

  5. Frank 5
    13 January 2013 at 5:49 pm

    What I am saying is if the copper went down there in mufti and spoke to them in a manner they could understand.
    Oi, gis ya kid. badass need to see judge.
    what ya done ya litel shit.
    took unts undies
    wot 4 ya purrthert.
    mom wont wash hers.

    Sorry he is still under arrest.

    take him.

  7. Rogue Trooper 7
    13 January 2013 at 6:38 pm

    There is an “arms escalation” You would be surprised how many ceilings serve as temporary armouries. (the “outsiders” will outbreed enforcement, regardless how the statistics are massaged; it’s game on)

    • RedLogix 7.1
      13 January 2013 at 7:02 pm

      There is an “arms escalation”

      That being the point here. Eventually you get people arguing for owning their own personal nukes to ‘defend’ their liberty from the evil state. Ok so that’s a bit OTT …. how about your own Abrams M1?

      • Rogue Trooper 7.1.1
        13 January 2013 at 7:06 pm

        I was a fan of the Tiger, yet our bridges are narrower than those of the Fatherland
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_II
        Panzerkampfwagen

        • Colonial Viper 7.1.1.1
          13 January 2013 at 7:16 pm

          T-34 fan myself, not as powerful or as well built, but sure did the job.

          • RedLogix 7.1.1.1.1
            13 January 2013 at 7:32 pm

            I’ve actually seen up close a real live T-34 at the factory where they were built… another story.

          • Rogue Trooper 7.1.1.1.2
            13 January 2013 at 7:44 pm

            They Sure Did, however, that WW II footage of a moving Tiger under an SS commander taking out (6 or 8 Allied Tanks from memory, was pretty outstanding; I read and watched a lot SS history in me bad old days) still, the T-34 ended up being the bees knees in the Russian campaigns, and they just kept coming (apparently there suspension was an advantage).

          • exkiwiforces 7.1.1.1.3
            13 January 2013 at 7:49 pm

            CV, I’ll raise you my Coy of Tigers, Coy of Panzer 4’s and my Panzer-Grenadiers for your T34.

            Back to tropic, The New Zealand Police service need to go back to having 2 personal in the patrol cars esp for the remote areas sooner or later someone is going to get killed either a cop or a civillian. Having a single cop on duty in remote area is just asking for trouble and where I live at moment in OZ the remote area cop the have 3 cops at remote police stations to stop this sort of thing happening.

        • David H 7.1.1.2
          13 January 2013 at 7:44 pm

          Naaa the T34/85 was not a bad tank, and the Russians had way more than the German Tiger tanks, And not many Tigers had the 88 mm gun, as it was an Anti Aircraft gun and just had a very high muzzle velocity. and a flat trajectory and was devastating to pretty much anything at the time. But most tanks had the 75mm gun, and not the 88

    • QoT 8.1
      13 January 2013 at 8:53 pm

      The sole-charge policeman used pepper spray and a taser, but was hit from behind, knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked by a group of around five people.

      Obviously arming cops with regular firearms is not the answer! They need guns that fire in all directions!

      Or … the officer could have had a partner to watch his back and ensure he wasn’t jumped from behind while dealing with the people in front of him.

      • felixviper 8.1.1
        13 January 2013 at 9:55 pm

        I think “guns that fire in all directions” are called “grenades”, and think cops should all carry them. The pins could be attached to their belts to stop people stealing them.

        And do away with firearms, tasers and sprays as it seems the cops just can’t be trusted to look after them.

        • McFlock 8.1.1.1
          13 January 2013 at 10:23 pm

          Actually, that last point goes right back to when they introduced collapsible batons. One of the justifications brought up was that some officers would leave the vehicle and forget to take their long baton – which while not nice to be hit with, also had some defensive uses beyond “nut the guy”.

          The telescopic baton really has only one use – the thwack.

        • QoT 8.1.1.2
          13 January 2013 at 11:29 pm

          I think the police need power armour. And machine pistols.

      • higherstandard 8.1.2
        14 January 2013 at 7:12 am

        Oh you’re making too much of a fuss QoT it was just some rowdy partiers.

        • QoT 8.1.2.1
          14 January 2013 at 7:46 pm

          I think you think you’re making some kind of hilariously clever point. Unfortunately you’re just continuing to dig yourself into an even deeper reductio ad absurdum hole/

  9. Rogue Trooper 9
    13 January 2013 at 7:55 pm

    This disturbing image found it’s way to me recently (that’s Fb market targeting for ya)
    http://inkslingerblog.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/602937_192858847524217_1235130692_n.jpg
    needless to say, I didn’t share it.

  10. paul andersen 10
    13 January 2013 at 9:19 pm

    I couldnt beleive that response,,, the officer should have drawn his gun,,,, they are taught never to draw their guns unless they are going to fire them,,, the police union spokesman can across more like an NRA spokesman

  11. MrSmith 11
    13 January 2013 at 10:14 pm

    The Pigs won’t be safe till they’re riding around in bulletproof Hummers with machine guns on the roof, well judging from the reaction by some here.

    Violence begets violence, wearing a gun says fuck with me and I might kill you, this isn’t the message we should be sending, we shouldn’t take the easy option with arming our police, because in the long run we will all lose.

  12. muzza 12
    14 January 2013 at 8:24 am

    I expect that carrying guns is a certainty, timeline being the variable. O’Connor (drunken disgrace that he is) and the PA, willfully backed by the media, are fueling the fires at every opportunity.

    Desired outcome = Armed cops, plus who knows what else on the street, and in the sky.

    Tactics required to achieve desired outcome = Becoming obvious!

  13. millsy 13
    15 January 2013 at 7:46 am

    Not really keen on having our police force behave like the SS, like what Brett Dale, Populuxe and higherstandard seem to want. They think the police should be able to shoot any person they like when they feel like it, and perhaps torture them as well.

    • higherstandard 13.1
      15 January 2013 at 8:00 am

      Dear Millsy

      Can you please provide a link to where I or any of the others you mention have said anything remotely like that which you have accused us of.

      • felixviper 13.1.1
        15 January 2013 at 10:01 am

        Brett does it pretty regularly. Ask him if he thinks coppers should a) obey the law or b) do whatever they have to do.

      • millsy 13.1.2
        15 January 2013 at 9:44 pm

        My point was that Judith Collins and Greg O’Connor (who BTW is the most effective union leader in the country) have previously blamed scrutiny of police conduct for a supposed rise in assaults on police. Personally I belive that it is a very dangerous assertion to make, as it signals a desire on both Collins and O’Connors part for our police forces to be devoid of any accountability or scrutiny whatsoever.

        And in case anyone wants to know, the worst intances of when police officers were attack, was in 1964 when 4 officers were shot dead in seperate incidents in Auckland and Wellington, and in 1941, when Stanley Graham went on his rampage. This was a time when the police were supposedly held in higher regard than they are now.

        • higherstandard 13.1.2.1
          16 January 2013 at 8:06 am

          Dear millsy

          The point you were trying to make bears no resemblance to your original smear.

          Can you please provide a link to where I or any of the others you mention have said anything remotely like that which you have accused us of.

    • Colonial Viper 13.2
      15 January 2013 at 12:22 pm

      and perhaps torture them as well.

      There might be innocent lives at stake in the next 24 hours which the tortured information from the suspect could save! /sarc

    • Populuxe1 13.3
      15 January 2013 at 1:12 pm

      I don’t recall saying the Police should have carte blanche to arrest, torture, maim and murder – all I said was that they do actually have to deal with some pretty horrific things, though never having had to comfort a rape victim, enter a murder scene, get shot or stabbed, or investigate a P lab, perhaps I shouldn’t say anything.

    • felixviper 14.1
      15 January 2013 at 9:58 am

      Oh dear. Reading between the lines there… “off duty”… “fishing”… “drinking at Kawhia wharf”…

      Bit weird that eyewitnesses and photos have a different recollection of events to the copper. Look forward to seeing the video.

      • higherstandard 14.1.1
        15 January 2013 at 10:10 am

        What is it exactly that you are reading between the lines ?

        • felixviper 14.1.1.1
          15 January 2013 at 12:30 pm

          It’s the bits where the dots are hs. You’re going to have to read between the lines of my reading between the lines if you give a shit.

          • higherstandard 14.1.1.1.1
            15 January 2013 at 12:38 pm

            Surely it’s better if you tell everyone what you’re reading between the lines in relation to the three items you’ve chosen to highlight ?

            It’s not as if any of those three things are out of the ordinary is it ?

            • felixviper 14.1.1.1.1.1
              15 January 2013 at 12:43 pm

              I wouldn’t presume to know whether those things are out of the ordinary or not hs.

              • higherstandard …
                15 January 2013 at 1:14 pm

                But surely you have with your ‘reading between the lines’

                Are you ever going to answer the original question or do you just want to continue to tr*ll ?

                • felixviper …
                  15 January 2013 at 1:26 pm

                  I don’t see where I’ve presumed to know the extent of the ordinariness or otherwise. Could you point out where I have?

                  And I’ve already answered your original question hs. In case you need it spelled out, the answer was ‘I’m not going to tell you, idiot.’

                  • higherstandard …
                    15 January 2013 at 2:01 pm

                    Aw come on share what you’re reading between the lines, are you afraid to make more of an idiot of yourself in between the incessant tr0lling and lying.

                    • felixviper …
                      15 January 2013 at 2:54 pm

                      Not following you there hs.

                    • higherstandard …
                      15 January 2013 at 4:04 pm

                      C’mon you can do better than that.

                      “Oh dear. Reading between the lines there… “off duty”… “fishing”… “drinking at Kawhia wharf”…”

                      Still waiting for what to read between the lines in relation to what those words in between the ” “s have got to do with the events at Kawhia where the policeman was set upon by feral scum.

                    • felixviper …
                      16 January 2013 at 9:34 am

                      I wrote that for the smart kids. Sorry dummy.

                      Still not following you re- lying and trooling.

                    • higherstandard …
                      16 January 2013 at 9:50 am

                      Well what would the “smart kids” read between the lines ?

                      Why so reticent to expand on your reading between the lines, surely you wouldn’t want to be misconstrued.

                      “Still not following you re- lying and trooling.”

                      Let me spell it out for you then – You are a lying trool.

                    • felixviper …
                      16 January 2013 at 9:58 am

                      Misconstrue away, not my concern.

  15. The Al1en 15
    15 January 2013 at 8:46 am

    Surely the only people we want to see go to work with a gun are soldiers and hunters.
    If arming the force is the only option to ensure it’s safety, then it signals a total fail from this government, and a top down fail in the cop chain.

    There are police I wouldn’t see issued a TV remote, let alone a lethal weapon.
    Have guns in cars, have armed squads in transit at all times or whatever, but if the police fed want to play cowboys, it’s only natural some will want to be better indians.

    • One Tāne Huna 15.1
      15 January 2013 at 12:59 pm

      Why would this be necessary, in the context of the marked downward trend in violent crime (especially homicides) since 1991?

      There are few circumstances where a “reasonable response” to an assault is to kill the attacker. Yes, that means that police staff will get beaten up from time to time, but that is better than drunk civilians being shot dead.

      That said, in a democracy, assault on police staff is an assault on society, a serious offence.

      OAB disclaimer. This comment contains a link to a deranged right wing web site and does not imply support for the views expressed therein.

  16. bad12 16
    15 January 2013 at 4:52 pm

    I think the both times i have listened to what the Police Commissioner had to say about what happened at the Kawhia wharf on RadioNZ National are about right,

    I can imagine Greg choking on His grog,(needs a stiff one to stop the after effects of all those drugs He didn’t take when He was undercover),BUT, the Commissioner seemed to be alluding to the fact that the particular plod in question had not made a correct risk assessment when deciding to arrest someone in the middle of a drinking crowd,

    He sure as hell didn’t, what the f**k was He doing all tooled up complete with glock where most of the crowd appears to have been the law abiding,

    What was His tactic, hands up now bro your under arrest and if you resist i will blow away a number of your rellies when double tap puts one or two into you and the rest miss,

    The Commissioner also pointed out that alcohol as it does in at least 70% of all crime figured in this little altercation as well, and, it was up to the Parliament to pass laws which stopped people from staggering round drinking piss in public places,

    The other side of the story of course is that the ‘suspect’ had already put up His hands and said ”fair cop” befor the plod in question gave it to Him with the Taser,

    At which point of course in a repeat of the recent Auckland incident where the officer gave a child a face full of Pepper-spray and Mum and the rest of the party tried to bash his head in with a brick the place went really f**king mad,

    Funny how guns and things seem to escalate the most simple of situations ae???…

    • bad12 16.1
      15 January 2013 at 11:06 pm

      As an afterthought to the above and alcohol, it makes me wonder if the plod in question hadn’t had a few tinnies with the mates while out fishing,

      i think that the Commissioner should consider whether or not His crew shouldn’t be given a blood test after such serious incidents to see if they were impaired by some substance or other…

  17. vto 17
    16 January 2013 at 8:16 am

    The Police Association should actually advocate not for pistols but instead semi-automatic submachine guns … if we follow their logic and their reasoning and their philosophy and their attitude and their bright ideas.

    This is exactly why we don’t let the police set the rules around policing.

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    Kia ora. These are some stories that caught our eye this week – as always, feel free to share yours in the comments. Our header image this week (via Eke Panuku) shows the planned upgrade for the Karanga Plaza Tidal Swimming Steps. The week in Greater Auckland On ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • God what a relief

    1. What's not to love about the way the Harris campaign is turning things around?a. Nothingb. Love all of itc. God what a reliefd. Not that it will be by any means easye. All of the above 2. Documents released by the Ministry of Health show Associate Health Minister Casey ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Trust In Me

    Trust in me in all you doHave the faith I have in youLove will see us through, if only you trust in meWhy don't you, you trust me?In a week that saw the release of the 3,000 page Abuse in Care report Christopher Luxon was being asked about Boot Camps. ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • The Hoon around the week to July 26

    TL;DR: The podcast above of the weekly ‘hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers last night features co-hosts and talking about the Royal Commission Inquiry into Abuse in Care report released this week, and with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on a UN push to not recognise carbon offset markets and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 26

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 26, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Transport: Simeon Brown announced $802.9 million in funding for 18 new trains on the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines, which ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Radical law changes needed to build road

    The northern expressway extension from Warkworth to Whangarei is likely to require radical changes to legislation if it is going to be built within the foreseeable future. The Government’s powers to purchase land, the planning process and current restrictions on road tolling are all going to need to be changed ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #30 2024

    Open access notables Could an extremely cold central European winter such as 1963 happen again despite climate change?, Sippel et al., Weather and Climate Dynamics: Here, we first show based on multiple attribution methods that a winter of similar circulation conditions to 1963 would still lead to an extreme seasonal ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • First they came for the Māori

    Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedFirst they came for the doctors But I was confused by the numbers and costs So I didn't speak up Then they came for our police and nurses And I didn't think we could afford those costs anyway So I ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live

    Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on UnsplashWe’re back again after our mid-winter break. We’re still with the ‘new’ day of the week (Thursday rather than Friday) when we have our ‘hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Will the real PM Luxon please stand up?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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