Police spied on Unite Union too

Written By: - Date published: 3:09 pm, December 18th, 2008 - 42 comments
Categories: national/act government, police, workers' rights - Tags: , , ,

Matt McCarten, head of the Unite Union, has just released emails showing police informant Rob Gilchrist gave the police spy unit details about activities being organised by the union as part of their push to abolish youth pay rates and increase the minimum wage.

‘These emails give lie to the police claim that only potential criminal actions by individuals were being targeted. A wide range of legal actions by unions, political parties and peace and justice groups came under the evil eye of the police. There is no evidence that the actions of Gilchrist were in any way discouraged by the police.

‘We need a full public inquiry into the actions of the police spy unit whose actions have clearly gone way beyond any legal mandate,” said Mr McCarten.

So, now we have not just peaceful environmental, animal rights and anti-war groups being spied on, but political parties and trade unions too. This is far too close to home for my liking – now it’s personal.

You may recall the first thing Judith Collins did as Police Minister was to make a media splash about the need to crack down on the perceived “politicisation” of the police. You’d think a coordinated campaign to spy on peaceful left-wing political movements under the guise of anti-terrorism would be reason enough for a public inquiry, but apparently not.

No doubt her reaction would be very different if it were Business NZ and the Sensible Sentencing Trust in the gun, but I guess Judith doesn’t mind politicisation after all. Just so long as it’s her enemies that are getting the stick.

UPDATE: More detail from No Right Turn here – seems Unite wasn’t the only union the police were spying on. NZPA has a report here.

Update 2: The EPMU have weighed in and they don’t sound happy – SP.

42 comments on “Police spied on Unite Union too ”

  1. justthefacts 2

    How delicious, the unions being spied on by the Labour government.

    [lprent: You are an idiot – the police are truly independent. The police watch everyone that they find suspicious, ie all of us in varying degrees. It has bugger all to do with what government is there. I suggest that you read the Police Act 2008]

  2. gobsmacked 3

    If you increase the minimum wage, then the terrorists have WON.

    Seriously, this is disgusting, as is the “see no evil” reaction of the politicians. Perhaps John Boscawen will organise a march to defend our basic freedoms.

    PS “JusttheFacts” – this is about basic right and wrong, not tiresome cheerleading for the colour of one team or the other. If you can’t get that, I pity you.

  3. Lew 4

    JTF: I see paranoid idiots who still think that the police is subject to direct operational control by the government still exist.

    L

  4. How delicious, the unions being spied on by the Labour government.

    Technically, by the police. but the fact they were allowed to get so out of control under Labour does not reflect well on that party.

    Perhaps John Boscawen will organise a march to defend our basic freedoms.

    There’s a Tui billboard in that.

  5. Bill 6

    I’m getting reminded of something I heard abut the Stasi. Obsessive, compulsive gathering of information. Problem was they ended up with so much info they couldn’t do anything with it…anything that might have been valuable (from their perspective) was lost in a general tsunami of bollox and bullshit.

    I think we ought not to kid ourselves. The police are always interested in ANY activity that is ‘dissident’. That includes unions. No matter how conservative they are or might be they are by mere definition ‘dissident’.

    The point is that much of the info they got was , presumably, more or less public knowledge anyway. (If Gilchrist was passing on union emails, those same emails would have been going to how many other people? Obviously not just members unless Gilchrist was spending a proportion of his ill gotten gains on multiple union memberships)

    At the end of the day, anyone doing something seriously dodgy will be slipping under the radar (easily) because of the way they operate. So the police are idiotic time wasters. What’s new?

    Send them the info. Lots of it. Ask for a mailing address, an email address and send them absolutely everything and anything. You going to have a sausage sizzle at that next picket? Send them the preferred brand of sausage, the BBQ make, who’s cooking…….

  6. And all this happened under the labour government?

    Who the heck would waste their time spying on freakin Unions?

    Unless there are corrput members who are doing illegal activities.

    [lprent: You starting to get my point now? The police have very little to do with politics.]

  7. IrishBill 8

    The fact that three of the unions EPMU, SFWU and MUNZ that have had their activities monitored are affiliated to the Labour party suggests to me that the government was unfamiliar with the operational detail.

    This does not excuse them in the least however and it certainly strengthens the case for an inquiry.

  8. mike 9

    Oh shit ……..

    ….and it has all been done by the LARBOUR party. This poice division was set up by LABOUR.

    Oh bugger.

  9. Billy 10

    Did anyone notice DPF’s suggestion that the new Minister of Police doesn’t want to start the job, by undermining the Commissioner.

    Why not, I wonder?

    The previous government sorted him out early on and never had any trouble thereafter.

  10. Bill 11

    Wonder if Gilchrist is piloting any of those flying spy pigs in the sky planes in the Waikato? According to TV3 last night, he wasn’t answering his phone ’cause he was ‘travelling’….

    Hmm, ground to air anyone?

  11. Felix 12

    Billy, ??

    Brett,

    “Unless there are corrput members who are doing illegal activities.”

    Does that sound like a job for the police anti-terrorist group (SIG) to you?

  12. toad 13

    Bill said: According to TV3 last night, he wasn’t answering his phone ’cause he was ‘travelling’ .

    Overseas, I suspect, so it’s more difficult to track him down. And travel paid for by the Police, I also suspect. They wouldn’t want him spilling the beans in a loose moment under media pressure.

  13. Actually Rob is still at home – and has been since the story broke. I spoke to him last night (called his home landline). That message is simply for the benefit of the media.

  14. Billy 15

    Rochelle.

    Did he promise he would change if you gave him one more chance?

    Men are bastards. They don’t.

  15. This has been going on for years. When i was on the National Exec of the Electoral Reform Coalition, my mail from overseas began arriving – every single peice – wrapped in plastic or taped up and all had a “Opened by Customs” sticker on it. This went on between 1989 and 1994.

    A few weeks before the MMP referendum in 1993, the ERC offices were broken into and all the computers stolen – but money and other valuables were untouched. I had expected dirty tricks and had warned Phil Saxby to ensure frequent backups of data were taken and stored off site. My worst fears were realised in full.

    Living on Johnsonville, after becoming National secretary of the ERC, my telephone started doing strange things…..

    There is no doubt that we were being spied on and when the time came, direct action was taken to subvert the pro-MMP campaign. The latter might not have been the state, but the former certainly was.

    One of the people on the ERC exec was an SUP member. I was one of the few who was not a member of any party.

    NZ governments – Labour and National – have allowed domestic spying on the people going about their rightful and legitimate political business.

    Been there. Experienced it first hand.

  16. Tane 17

    I’ve deleted three off-topic comments from the usual right-wing trolls. Please stick to the topic of the thread rather than trying to jack it.

  17. rave 18

    A good thing may come out of this which is to dispel the notion widespread on the left that the police are supposed to be class neutral and can be kept in check by left wing governments. This is because they think that the state is inherently neutral in relation to whether you are a property owning citizen or not.

    Labour stood by when National used emergency powers, enacted by Labour in the 30s and WW2, against the unions during the 1951 lockout. Labour has increased police powers since 2001 under the pretext of Bush’s ‘war of terror’. Though a lockout, the problem for the bosses was that their goods werent getting to market.

    The ‘abuse’ of police powers is not really abuse. It’s normal use. The police are empowered to defend private property and property owning persons. Witness property owner who kills a person who defaces said property and is widely held to be justified but given a token sentence to pretend that all individuals are really equal under the law regardless of which bands they like. But theyre not.

    Everyone who threatens the private property rights of citizens can expect to be repressed. Spied on (long history), threatened (anyone in protests since 2001 will have had plainclothes cops introduce themselves naming the protestors and saying they know all about them), and physically attacked and locked up. The defence of these rights can only come from mass protest and actions. Might is right on the night.

    This is what we expect when we stand up for democracy or elementary labour rights against the capitalist system. The capitalist system includes the state which is in the last analysis based on the force of the secret police, the cops and the armed forces. If it werent for that elementary fact, most workers would have refused to be exploited by bosses and expropriated private property at least a century ago.

  18. Janet 19

    Threats to national security in NZ are surely more likely to come from forces on the right, than the left. Why aren’t the police watching those coming into NZ unannounced by private jet or luxury yacht, or giving money to right wing political organisations? Or maybe they are?

  19. Rex Widerstrom 20

    lprent suggests:

    The police watch everyone that they find suspicious, ie all of us in varying degrees. It has bugger all to do with what government is there.

    Whilst justhefacts contends:

    the unions being spied on by the Labour government

    In my experience (as opposed to opinion) you’re both right. The Police spy obsessively on anyone they see as as suspicious and they are a willing tool of their political masters. Not just Labour, though, and not just the government of the day (though it’s them they’re most intent on pleasing).

    They’re smart enough to know that the continued turning of a blind eye to their hijinks depends on keeping politicians of all persuasions beholden. Just witness the new Minister’s weak performance.

    Same applies to the media. How weak would most bulletins be if it wasnt for all the crime stories, carefully allocated according to how easy a ride the Police get from a particular reporter.

    I come from a completely different political perspective to rave, yet I agree wholeheartedly with all but his last paragraph above. That must tell you something.

  20. gingercrush 21

    How pleasing to see rave use another topic for his absurd argument for workers to overthrow capitalism. And then we get Janet with another attack on the right and calling them criminals instead of the left.

    Why rave insists we listen to his pathetic arguments and opinions about workers is beyond me. Why Janet uses this to attack the right is beyond me as well. I’m sorry but it was Labour in power. This isn’t a left/right matter its the police. End of.

    [lprent: They get let through because they argue their viewpoint coherently, cogently, and on topic. I don’t think that rave or Janet has ever raised my site protection instincts. Of course calling into question peoples access to comment here does….

    Personally I agree with your viewpoint – that the police are off in a universe of their own.

    However that doesn’t make the viewpoint of rave and Janet something that is not worth having. It is just something that you have to explain why you don’t like it and why you think it is incorrect, or you just ignore it.

    The ones that get banned are the ones who try to trash the site, usually by attempting to prevent discussion – ie from the policy. Most recently for me was giving ‘sod the heave for a week for trying to start flames (which he is whining about on SodBlog 😈 ]

  21. Usual right-wing troll 22

    [lprent: Bye dad]

  22. Pascal's bookie 23

    hey ginger, you seem to have picked up a few rhetorical diseases. Would I be wrong in assuming that you’ve been hanging out at KB?

    rave doesn’t insist we read his arguments any more than you insist we read your commentary. The fact that things are beyond you, doesn’t rebut them in the least. If you are going to label things as ‘absurd’ and ‘pathetic’, then I’m guessing that you could in fact rebut them if you chose to do so. I’d like to see you try actually.

    I don’t agree wholeheartedly with rave on a lot of things, (I’m more of a Rawlsian liberal than a Marxist), but I enjoy reading his perspective. Apart from the fact that you support the National Party I’m not yet sure what your perspective even is. I know you claimed to be a neo liberal, but it turned out you weren’t too precise in your own mind about what that meant. I doubt anyone could say the same about rave.

    I guess I’m just saying that your royal ‘we’ doesn’t include me. So speak for yourself. ok?

  23. Daffodil Gal 24

    GC: I totally disagree. When the police are covertly gathering intelligence on the workings and actions of a wide variety of groups that support left-wing ideals, including trade unions ffs, it is a deeply left/right matter.

    Rave is exercising his human right to freedom of expression and he’s not insisting that you listen- you can exercise your own human right to bugger off elsewhere if you so desire.

    Change the record, I think it’s stuck. It doesn’t matter who was in government. I just want to know how the whole Gilchrist charade got so far and went on for so long without someone within the police blowing the whistle…

    Janet is absolutely right in that most of the groups that were being surveilled were groups centred around ideals that would strongly oppose any violent terrorist action. Unite and Greenpeace hardly pose a risk to National security! By the way, nobody called anybody a criminal.

    [[EDIT: OH SNAP PB, YA BEAT ME TO IT. AND I WAS SO BRAVE COMMENTING AND ALL =P ]]

  24. RedLogix 25

    PB,

    Rawlsian liberal

    Blogs at their best; one learns something new every day… thanks.

  25. Ag 26

    The police spying on unions engaging in regular union activities? If nothing gets done about this, then I really can’t see the point of regular political activism in New Zealand. Why bother if the police are going to engage in politically motivated espionage? Lord knows who else gets access to this information. Based on some of the cops I’ve known I can take a wild guess.

    And people used to criticize me for loathing and distrusting the police.

    At least we can console ourselves with the fact that they are for the most part incompetent.

  26. Usual right-wing troll 27

    [lprent: Bye dad]

  27. Pascal's bookie 28

    Daffodil Gal, hey, you should comment more often 🙂

    red: lately I’ve been trying to read a couple of articles from here:

    http://plato.stanford.edu/search/searcher.py?query=rawls

    each weekend, while the toddler naps. That page is on Rawls links but the search function is truly awesome. Any damn philosophical idea you can think of gets a working over, and all for free.

    Kids these days don’t even know they’re born I tell you.

  28. Ari 29

    Rawls was the one who thought that a fair society was the one with the veil of ignorance stuff, right?

    I rather liked the idea that a fair society would be one you’d agree to with everyone else if you didn’t know in advance whether you would be female or male, rich or poor, gay or straight, one race or another, etc…

  29. Pascal's bookie 30

    Yep, that’s him.

  30. Peter Davis 31

    [Tane: D4J, you’re still banned.]

  31. Chris G 32

    I actually liked Raves comment and particularly his last paragraph, GC.

    I dont think its off topic at all, the monitoring of the unions is part of the supression of the workers that rave speaks of in his final paragraph… Surely you can see the direct link GC? I sure hope the KB mud doesnt get your clothes dirty GC cos I like reading what you have to say.

    Further, how pathetic is that, monitoring Unite? Once again I’ll say, why weren’t the cops looking at the gang members down the road? Lets not pretend gangs are a small thing in NZ, they perpetuate the drug trade (Fact) and permeate beyond south auckland and porirua (Fact) Now in answer to that all I’ll hear is: Labour was in power, haha! – Irrelevant, think of something useful to say.

    Surely Johnny Friendly and Rodney the Razor should be all over these shenanigans and clamping down on this gross waste of taxpayers money? or do they not care because they were monitoring unions and left-wing groups? ahhhh… I see now.

  32. the sprout 33

    unlike the blinkered tragic bores of the gc variety, i ALWAYS read rave’s comments and am generally inclined to agree with his analyses.

    i guess what rave says is just waaaay too threatening for the very brittle realities of fear-addled righties.

  33. Swampy 34

    There’s always a lot of spouting by the left, even the most extreme, that their activities are peaceful, yet for some they are renowned for militancy and physical intimidation when it suits them. In fact it seems to be those who are the most shrill about “peaceful” protests who are the most likely to resort to physical force when it suits them.

    Granted, there is extremism on both sides of the political spectrum yet the proportionality as such falls significantly greater on the left wing. It is of course the same left wing who are whining the loudest, as always, about being spied on. Given that plenty of lefties want to abolish the armed forces and the SIS a sense of perspective is sadly lacking. The police are right to believe that most of the extremists like the Animal Liberation Front and Save Happy Valley are connected within milder left wing groups and to be keeping an eye on these groups.

  34. Swampy 35

    Dear Lew: Labour stood for politicisation of the public service.

  35. Swampy 36

    IrishBill: MUNZ are unaffiliated, aren’t they?
    Perhaps you are confused with RMTU which is affilated.

    I would expect MUNZ affiliated with the SUP given their record.

  36. Swampy 37

    Withers: The police are interested in groups which, say, advocate overturning democratic government in favour of communism or some other kind of one party state. This is no different from the activity that saw William Sutch picked up for being in contact with a Soviet diplomat. The polarisation of public opinion then and since has followed predictable patterns.

    If your group had an SUP member on board it is hadly surprising the police would be interested in them and by extension any groups they were involved in.

    I’d love to ask union members who talk about democracy and human rights why they are all so eager to support Cuba, Soviet Russia and China, none of which have or did have any such thing.

    [lprent: or supported by an MBA? like me? I support independent unions regardless of their political affiliations. I regard those that don’t as reactionary or communist fuckwits. – what are you?]

  37. Ag 38

    “Withers: The police are interested in groups which, say, advocate overturning democratic government in favour of communism or some other kind of one party state.”

    Oddly enough, they’ve never seemed interested in groups which were supportive of Pinochet’s program of reforms in Chile, or of companies that dealt with authoritarian regimes.

    Trying to paint the police as some politically neutral force is not going to cut it. When it comes to the crunch, the police always side with the right. That just means that if you are on the left, the police are always in the end an enemy and trust in them must always be qualified.

    If the police choose to soil themselves by being hired goons for tories, then in my view they make themselves legitimate targets.

    “This is no different from the activity that saw William Sutch picked up for being in contact with a Soviet diplomat.”

    I’d say the Cold War being over makes it very different.

  38. Anita 39

    Swampy,

    If your group had an SUP member on board it is hadly surprising the police would be interested in them and by extension any groups they were involved in.

    Why? In what sense is the SUP a significant threat to New Zealand?

  39. Bill 40

    Swampy.
    I’ve never been a member of a political org; never practised or advocated violence; have no criminal record and certainly do not support the types of authoritarian LW groups you refer to.

    Yet I have been variously monitored by the SIS ( phone tap, surveillance and a ‘request’ that I be interviewed) as well as put under surveillance by the police.

    Any thoughts?

  40. Pascal's bookie 41

    Bill you are clearly a fellow traveler, a useful idiot, objectively pro communist and would probably have been prematurely antifascist.

    A Threat to the liberal western state in other words, and it is only proper that you be deprived by that state of your liberal rights. Obviously.

    swmpy, the right uses the state for it’s violence.

  41. Lew 42

    Dear Swampy: nobody credible believes that; only those who have some partisan point to make from saying so.

    Incidentally, this whole schtick of tarring anyone not a NACT voter with the Communist Revolutionary brush is very dull. Nobody credible actually thinks that Cuba, China or the Soviet Union are better off than we are under liberal democracy, either.

    L

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

  • EV road user charges bill passes
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed the passing of legislation to move light electric vehicles (EVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) into the road user charges system from 1 April.  “It was always intended that EVs and PHEVs would be exempt from road user charges until they reached two ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago
  • Bill targets illegal, unregulated fishing in international waters
    New Zealand is strengthening its ability to combat illegal fishing outside its domestic waters and beef up regulation for its own commercial fishers in international waters through a Bill which had its first reading in Parliament today. The Fisheries (International Fishing and Other Matters) Amendment Bill 2023 sets out stronger ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Reserve Bank appointments
    Economists Carl Hansen and Professor Prasanna Gai have been appointed to the Reserve Bank Monetary Policy Committee, Finance Minister Nicola Willis announced today. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is the independent decision-making body that sets the Official Cash Rate which determines interest rates.  Carl Hansen, the executive director of Capital ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours ago
  • Stronger protections for apartment owners
    Apartment owners and buyers will soon have greater protections as further changes to the law on unit titles come into effect, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “The Unit Titles (Strengthening Body Corporate Governance and Other Matters) Amendment Act had already introduced some changes in December 2022 and May 2023, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Travel focused on traditional partners and Middle East
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to Egypt and Europe from this weekend.    “This travel will focus on a range of New Zealand’s traditional diplomatic and security partnerships while enabling broad engagement on the urgent situation in Gaza,” Mr Peters says.   Mr Peters will attend the NATO Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    20 hours ago
  • Keep safe on our roads this Easter
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown is encouraging all road users to stay safe, plan their journeys ahead of time, and be patient with other drivers while travelling around this Easter long weekend. “Road safety is a responsibility we all share, and with increased traffic on our roads expected this Easter we ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for over 1.4 million Kiwis
    About 1.4 million New Zealanders will receive cost of living relief through increased government assistance from April 1 909,000 pensioners get a boost to Superannuation, including 5000 veterans 371,000 working-age beneficiaries will get higher payments 45,000 students will see an increase in their allowance Over a quarter of New Zealanders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Tenancy reviews for social housing restart
    Ensuring social housing is being provided to those with the greatest needs is front of mind as the Government restarts social housing tenancy reviews, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says. “Our relentless focus on building a strong economy is to ensure we can deliver better public services such as social ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary plan halted
    The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary will not go ahead, with Cabinet deciding to stop work on the proposed reserve and remove the Bill that would have established it from Parliament’s order paper. “The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary Bill would have created a 620,000 sq km economic no-go zone,” Oceans and Fisheries Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Cutting all that dam red tape
    Dam safety regulations are being amended so that smaller dams won’t be subject to excessive compliance costs, Minister for Building and Construction Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on reducing costs and removing unnecessary red tape so we can get the economy back on track.  “Dam safety regulations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    24 hours ago
  • Drought support extended to parts of North Island
    The coalition Government is expanding the medium-scale adverse event classification to parts of the North Island as dry weather conditions persist, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today. “I have made the decision to expand the medium-scale adverse event classification already in place for parts of the South Island to also cover the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passage of major tax bill welcomed
    The passing of legislation giving effect to coalition Government tax commitments has been welcomed by Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill will help place New Zealand on a more secure economic footing, improve outcomes for New Zealanders, and make our tax system ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Lifting economy through science, tertiary sectors
    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Tertiary Education and Skills Minister Penny Simmonds today announced plans to transform our science and university sectors to boost the economy. Two advisory groups, chaired by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, will advise the Government on how these sectors can play a greater ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government announces Budget priorities
    The Budget will deliver urgently-needed tax relief to hard-working New Zealanders while putting the government’s finances back on a sustainable track, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says.  The Finance Minister made the comments at the release of the Budget Policy Statement setting out the Government’s Budget objectives. “The coalition Government intends ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government to consider accommodation solution
    The coalition Government will look at options to address a zoning issue that limits how much financial support Queenstown residents can get for accommodation. Cabinet has agreed on a response to the Petitions Committee, which had recommended the geographic information MSD uses to determine how much accommodation supplement can be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government approves extension to Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care
    Cabinet has agreed to a short extension to the final reporting timeframe for the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care from 28 March 2024 to 26 June 2024, Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says.                                         “The Royal Commission wrote to me on 16 February 2024, requesting that I consider an ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • $18m boost for Kiwis travelling to health treatment
    The coalition Government is delivering an $18 million boost to New Zealanders needing to travel for specialist health treatment, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says.   “These changes are long overdue – the National Travel Assistance (NTA) scheme saw its last increase to mileage and accommodation rates way back in 2009.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM’s Prizes for Space to showcase sector’s talent
    The Government is recognising the innovative and rising talent in New Zealand’s growing space sector, with the Prime Minister and Space Minister Judith Collins announcing the new Prime Minister’s Prizes for Space today. “New Zealand has a growing reputation as a high-value partner for space missions and research. I am ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Concerns conveyed to China over cyber activity
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government.     “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity, attributed to groups sponsored by the Chinese Government, targeting democratic institutions in both New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry
    Independent Reviewers appointed for School Property Inquiry Education Minister Erica Stanford today announced the appointment of three independent reviewers to lead the Ministerial Inquiry into the Ministry of Education’s School Property Function.  The Inquiry will be led by former Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully. “There is a clear need ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Brynderwyns open for Easter
    State Highway 1 across the Brynderwyns will be open for Easter weekend, with work currently underway to ensure the resilience of this critical route being paused for Easter Weekend to allow holiday makers to travel north, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Today I visited the Brynderwyn Hills construction site, where ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Speech to the Infrastructure Funding & Financing Conference
    Introduction Good morning to you all, and thanks for having me bright and early today. I am absolutely delighted to be the Minister for Infrastructure alongside the Minister of Housing and Resource Management Reform. I know the Prime Minister sees the three roles as closely connected and he wants me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Parliamentary network breached by the PRC
    New Zealand stands with the United Kingdom in its condemnation of People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-backed malicious cyber activity impacting its Electoral Commission and targeting Members of the UK Parliament. “The use of cyber-enabled espionage operations to interfere with democratic institutions and processes anywhere is unacceptable,” Minister Responsible for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • NZ to provide support for Solomon Islands election
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced New Zealand will provide logistics support for the upcoming Solomon Islands election. “We’re sending a team of New Zealand Defence Force personnel and two NH90 helicopters to provide logistics support for the election on 17 April, at the request ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • NZ-EU FTA gains Royal Assent for 1 May entry to force
    The European Union Free Trade Agreement Legislation Amendment Bill received Royal Assent today, completing the process for New Zealand’s ratification of its free trade agreement with the European Union.    “I am pleased to announce that today, in a small ceremony at the Beehive, New Zealand notified the European Union ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • COVID-19 inquiry attracts 11,000 submissions
    Public consultation on the terms of reference for the Royal Commission into COVID-19 Lessons has concluded, Internal Affairs Minister Hon Brooke van Velden says.  “I have been advised that there were over 11,000 submissions made through the Royal Commission’s online consultation portal.” Expanding the scope of the Royal Commission of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Families to receive up to $75 a week help with ECE fees
    Hardworking families are set to benefit from a new credit to help them meet their early childcare education (ECE) costs, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. From 1 July, parents and caregivers of young children will be supported to manage the rising cost of living with a partial reimbursement of their ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Unlocking a sustainable, low-emissions future
    A specialised Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) tasked with preparing and publishing independent non-binding advice on the design of a "green" (sustainable finance) taxonomy rulebook is being established, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  “Comprising experts and market participants, the ITAG's primary goal is to deliver comprehensive recommendations to the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Chief of Army thanked for his service
    Defence Minister Judith Collins has thanked the Chief of Army, Major General John Boswell, DSD, for his service as he leaves the Army after 40 years. “I would like to thank Major General Boswell for his contribution to the Army and the wider New Zealand Defence Force, undertaking many different ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders
    25 March 2024 Minister to meet Australian counterparts and Manufacturing Industry Leaders Small Business, Manufacturing, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly will travel to Australia for a series of bi-lateral meetings and manufacturing visits. During the visit, Minister Bayly will meet with his Australian counterparts, Senator Tim Ayres, Ed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government commits nearly $3 million for period products in schools
    Government commits almost $3 million for period products in schools The Coalition Government has committed $2.9 million to ensure intermediate and secondary schools continue providing period products to those who need them, Minister of Education Erica Stanford announced today. “This is an issue of dignity and ensuring young women don’t ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Speech – Making it easier to build.
    Good morning, it’s great to be here.   First, I would like to acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveyors and thank you for the opportunity to be here this morning.  I would like to use this opportunity to outline the Government’s ambitious plan and what we hope to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Pacific youth to shine from boost to Polyfest
    Minister for Pacific Peoples Dr Shane Reti has announced the Government’s commitment to the Auckland Secondary Schools Māori and Pacific Islands Cultural Festival, more commonly known as Polyfest. “The Ministry for Pacific Peoples is a longtime supporter of Polyfest and, as it celebrates 49 years in 2024, I’m proud to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Ngarimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarships announced
    ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to Breast Cancer Foundation – Insights Conference
    Before moving onto the substance of today’s address, I want to recognise the very significant and ongoing contribution the Breast Cancer Foundation makes to support the lives of New Zealand women and their families living with breast cancer. I very much enjoy working with you. I also want to recognise ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Kiwi research soars to International Space Station
    New Zealand has notched up a first with the launch of University of Canterbury research to the International Space Station, Science, Innovation and Technology and Space Minister Judith Collins says. The hardware, developed by Dr Sarah Kessans, is designed to operate autonomously in orbit, allowing scientists on Earth to study ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Speech to the New Zealand Planning Institute
    Introduction Thank you for inviting me to speak with you today and I’m sorry I can’t be there in person. Yesterday I started in Wellington for Breakfast TV, spoke to a property conference in Auckland, and finished the day speaking to local government in Christchurch, so it would have been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Support for Northland emergency response centre
    The Coalition Government is contributing more than $1 million to support the establishment of an emergency multi-agency coordination centre in Northland. Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced the contribution today during a visit of the Whangārei site where the facility will be constructed.  “Northland has faced a number ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Celebrating 20 years of Whakaata Māori
    New Zealanders have enjoyed a broader range of voices telling the story of Aotearoa thanks to the creation of Whakaata Māori 20 years ago, says Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka. The minister spoke at a celebration marking the national indigenous media organisation’s 20th anniversary at their studio in Auckland on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Some commercial fishery catch limits increased
    Commercial catch limits for some fisheries have been increased following a review showing stocks are healthy and abundant, Ocean and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The changes, along with some other catch limit changes and management settings, begin coming into effect from 1 April 2024. "Regular biannual reviews of fish ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-03-28T19:52:04+00:00