Political Statues

Written By: - Date published: 12:16 pm, August 25th, 2017 - 42 comments
Categories: colonialism, Deep stuff, International, racism, us politics, war - Tags:

Not too good in the U.S. about statues recently.

New Zealand endured a massive and protracted internal war from the late 1850s to the late 1870s. But you wouldn’t know it: there’s barely a memorial to this most divisive war. Unless you look pretty hard. In fact most of those battles now exist in physical form as mere shadows on the ground from earthen ramparts.

And yet directly after this war, the New Zealand Parliament in full retribution mode passed laws that confiscated millions and millions of acres from Maori ownership. There you have most of the cause of the entire Treaty of Waitangi process that still goes on today.

So why almost no memorials to our massive civil war?

After all, only thirty years after we had been busy fighting against each other in the New Zealand Wars, we finished our World War One participation, and for that there were war memorials put up in every town and city and borough the full length of the country from Kaitaia to Bluff. There are still peaceniks who would prefer to see those World War One statues of soldiers to glorifying mass orchestrated competitive sadism to be smashed and turned into flower gardens to peace. But ANZAC services grow and grow and grow.

There is an entire U.S. industry devoted to remaking and re-enacting civil war battles, but you sure won’t find that here. If Waitangi Day was treated like ANZAC Day in New Zealand, the entire naval fleet would sail into every harbour, and great kapa haka competitions would raise everyone’s hairs: it would be a national day in competitive showing-off. In terms of the theatre of expressing challenge and conflict, what better form is there than the haka?

Perhaps we find it all faintly embarrassing. So why do people proudly flock to parade around ANZAC Day memorials specifically for remembering historical conflict, when emotional remembrance at Waitangi is relentlessly mocked? Maybe there’s some internal national trigger that makes it just too hard to even represent military conflict between Maori and settler European. Maybe Maori would prefer not to remember that some Maori were on different sides and their motivations complex.  Maybe we would prefer to just leave thinking about that kind of difficult thing to textbooks for intermediate school children, and drop it later.

Maybe we don’t trust ourselves to be thoughtful about complex and emotional civic issues, as if talking about hard stuff strips us of all dignity. Or more correctly, … “emotional Maori issues”.  Monuments are always concentrations of history that express contradictions of grandeur and suffering, forced labour and peak societal achievements, grand scale and territorial pettiness, patronage and allegiance.

When Oliver Cromwell took his chance and deposed the monarchy temporarily in England in the mid -1600s, his troops were charged with entering churches and smashing down all the statues they could find. Same after the French Revolution, and similar after the Soviet Union fell. It’s an aniconic drive to deny representation of the sacred and assert new order. Crosses of course are illegal in Chinese mainland churches, so they are taken down. It’s quite a religion that puts extraordinary torture as its physical representation.

But the Charlotteville confederate memorials defined specific things: they helped define and enforce the City’s racial boundaries through the Jim Crow years. Maybe, dare I say it, our “race relations” are more advanced than those of the U.S. Maybe a bit.

We don’t have too many large statues of actual generals on horseback. There’s no General Chute or General Cameron astride a steed somewhere in 5 metre high bronze that I am aware of. Not even a great big Titokowaru at the prow of a great waka ready to storm anything. Maybe we’re shy.

If we did have such statues, they could just turn into yet another Motoua Gardens protest. That garden has a memorial with a plaque. Maybe, in New Zealand, proper statues would turn into something that we contest and refresh our memories about every year just like other war memorials. To test our identity upon as individuals and as a whole bunch of us. Empty pedestals have a few teachable moments – but surely we can teach the politics of representation without turning them into rubble first.

Now after many decades of trying, the second floor of the Auckland War Memorial Museum has devoted one room of its second floor devoted to war memorialisation, to this war between Maori and settler government. There, that wasn’t so hard.

42 comments on “Political Statues ”

  1. dukeofurl 1

    I understand a lot of the civil war confederate generals statutes were mass produced-by factories in the north- and were erected in the 1920s, a time when the racial discrimination laws were tightened and after the 50 year aniversaries of teh end of the war.

    “Many Civil War commemoration statues—such as the one pulled down in Durham—were cheaply mass produced by northern factories, which simply switched the belt buckles’ insignia to suit Union or Confederate clients.”
    http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/08/charlottesville-confederate-memorials-civil-war-racism-history/

  2. Candy1 2

    Whites need to be reminded that they stole this country from the Maori peoples.

    • D'Esterre 2.1

      Candy1:”Whites need to be reminded that they stole this country from the Maori peoples.”

      No. Nobody alive had anything to do with the large-scale land confiscations of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
      Some people now alive may be descendants of those involved; the rest of us are not. And in any event, blaming all pakeha for the crimes of the past is more or less equivalent to blaming present-day Jews for the death of Jesus, or all Germans for the crimes of the Nazi era. It’s bizarre and pointless.

  3. joe90 3

    So why almost no memorials to our massive civil war?

    Wander around any provincial centre and they’re right there.

    Do you live in a street named after someone who murdered your whānau? For Māori, many of us do. #Colonisation https://t.co/hhJ181ml8T pic.twitter.com/NW2VjhkU0M— Te Kawa Robb (@tekawa_robb) August 16, 2017

    https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1iksZCGz0d-B4Aat_TOZOeJd04Pc

    • Ovid 3.1

      Well, Cumberland Street is a main thoroughfare through Dunedin and my forebears on my father’s side were on the losing side of Culloden. And descending from Irish Catholics on my mother’s side there is the little issue of the entire town of Cromwell.

    • dukeofurl 3.2

      the NZ style was some sort of artillery piece rather than a person. I remember seeing a book that covered them in detail, it was a very thick book.

      Other than that , the land wars mostly have a sign along a back road that just says ‘Redoubt’ pointing to a hill or ridgeline. Rangiriri is the most obvious one on a main highway.

  4. Thanks for the post.

    “Maybe Maori would prefer not to remember that some Maori were on different sides and their motivations complex.”

    nah I don’t think many if any would think that – the nature of Māori warfare included those ideas and there are many histories around those types of behaviors.

    you may remember this from September last year

    “A racially-charged debate is igniting over research that has revealed “white supremacist” comments made by the prime minister Massey University is named after.

    Now, almost a century on, a top academic is calling for the university to consider a name change.”

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/84753337/Massey-racism-provokes-call-for-university-name-change

    possibly even bigger than a statue topple?

    There are and have been many examples including changing place names and so forth where Māori and others have asked for the history to be added. This is also regarding battles including the colonisation ones.

    Statues are western – carvings are Māori and I’m am sure the events of those times have been recorded in wood as well as memory for Māori.

    I do agree that a nice big discussion with Māori and others would prove enlightening and fruitful in this area.

  5. Bill 5

    I don’t think those statues should be destroyed (if that’s what’s happening).

    The US has some really fucked up history and it shouldn’t just be eradicated so people can ‘feel’ better about themselves and/or the country they identify with.

    How’s about they get shifted from prominent positions outside city chambers (or wherever they are) and installed in new dedicated civic spaces so that people don’t get to forget or ignore their uglier pasts?

    • francesca 5.1

      In Russia they have partly solved the problem by gathering soviet era statues in a sculpture park,Muzeon Park of Arts, previously known as Fallen Monument Park
      A repository for historical artifacts, an educational resource, part art history, which curates historic and contemporary sculpture
      Rather than pretend certain figures never existed or were never memorialised , they appear as contemporary reminders of past ideologies

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Monument_Park

    • francesca 5.2

      In Russia they have partly solved the problem by gathering soviet era statues in a sculpture park,Muzeon Park of Arts, previously known as Fallen Monument Park
      A repository for historical artifacts, an educational resource, part art history, which curates historic and contemporary sculpture
      Rather than pretend certain figures never existed or were never memorialised , they appear as contemporary reminders of past ideologies

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallen_Monument_Park

      • joe90 5.2.1

        I guess when he’s done with Stalin, Putin will turn his hand to rehabilitating lessor known heroes.

        Although condemned for his brutality after his death, Stalin is now getting new respect from both an older generation nostalgic for the lost Soviet empire, which collapsed in 1991, and a younger generation of nationalistic Russians.

        About 10 statues of Stalin have gone up around the country since 2012, said Pavel Gnilorybov, a historian who works with a group that tracks human rights abuses.

        Some of the renewed admiration comes from President Vladimir Putin, who often laments the breakup of what had been the world’s only other superpower besides the United States.

        Putin condemned the “excessive demonization” of Stalin during an interview that aired this summer with Oscar-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone. Putin said attacks on Stalin amounted to “attacking the Soviet Union and Russia.”

        https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/08/16/soviet-union-terror-josef-stalin-popularity/556625001/

        • francesca 5.2.1.1

          To be fair, and although it doesn’t get any airing in the western press, Putin also said “whoever doesn’t mourn the soviet union has no heart, whoever wants it back, has no brain”
          I have a Russian friend, now married to a NZer, who is taken aback by the tone and bias in media coverage of anything to do with Russia or Putin
          She says his words are consistently mistranslated and she finds it hard to recognise the Russia written about compared to the Russia she knows
          She herself is no great fan of Putin, but the alternatives are more dire

          • Stuart Munro 5.2.1.1.1

            There are no alternatives. Single party state.

            • CoroDale 5.2.1.1.1.1

              Lets be real about the two party states. Labour and National also basically a neo-liberal flip-flop of good-cop-bad-cop. Or MMP friends in Germany for example; not only is there no clear ideological difference between the two main parties SPD and CDU, these two focus on rubbishing ideas of the small parties and even officially rule together in a grand coalition!

            • francesca 5.2.1.1.1.2

              single party state?????
              Its one of the most multi party governments,(7 currently represented in the State Dumas)
              Regional parliaments currently have 10 parties participating in regional government

              • Stuart Munro

                Tell it to Nemtsov … oh, sorry, you can’t – Putin had him killed.

                • francesca

                  Oh come now.
                  Nemstov couldnt even get above the threshold .Very few Russians vote for Yeltsin era liberals.The only reason they still exist is through the beneficence of NED and the US embassy payments.
                  The communist party is a far more potent threat to United Russia, yet we dont see them getting killed.
                  Even the most rabid Russophobes don’t blame Putin for Nemtsov

                  • Stuart Munro

                    “Nemtsov didn’t even get above the threshold.” So it’s ok for Putin to have him killed. One party state – the bad kind.

                    Nemtsov was killed in the most highly monitored piece of ground in the whole of Russia. The omnipresent security was conspicuously absent, the video footage likewise. Putin took personal responsibility for the investigation, which of course went nowhere.

                    It was a political hit with significant insider support – that’s what it takes to make the security presence and the video evidence go away.

                    Putin cheated to get elected, murders journalists, and prevents the development of opposition parties. He’s old cold war in the worst way – the natural descendant of the Okhrana.

                    You’re not the only one with Russian friends.

                    • D'Esterre

                      Stuart Munro: ““Nemtsov didn’t even get above the threshold.” So it’s ok for Putin to have him killed. One party state – the bad kind.”
                      I think a bit of logical thinking wouldn’t go amiss. Why on earth would Putin have him killed? What would be the point? Nemtsov wouldn’t be worth the effort, to be blunt.
                      Francesca has pointed out that the communists are much more of an electoral threat, yet Putin isn’t accused of bumping off any of ’em. Curious…
                      “Nemtsov was killed in the most highly monitored piece of ground in the whole of Russia…..Putin took personal responsibility for the investigation, which of course went nowhere.”
                      Last I looked,there have been arrests, a trial and convictions in this case.

            • D'Esterre 5.2.1.1.1.3

              Stuart Munro: herewith a list of opposition parties currently in the Duma.
              1. Communist party
              2. Liberal Democratic party
              3. A Just Russia
              4. Rodina
              5. Civic Platform
              At present, 3 seats are vacant.
              United Russia – the party of government – holds a thumping majority.
              Please don’t just talk about rigged elections. Produce the evidence: and not anything from the CIA or any of its puppet NGOs. Talk is cheap…

              • Stuart Munro

                It’s not particularly easy for me to produce the evidence from half a world away, but electoral tampering was widespread when Putin was first elected and subsequent reports suggest that it remains so.

                This story points to the ongoing tampering.
                https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/russians-voting–and-watching/2012/03/04/gIQA3j6CqR_story.html?utm_term=.136da0384246

                The 2000 election was the subject of an investigation by the Moscow Times (since shut down) which found widespread evidence of tampering right across the country. In fact Putin would have won on the second ballot, his majority was secure – but he cheated anyway.

                • D'Esterre

                  Stuart Munro: “This story points to the ongoing tampering.”
                  Ah, you’ll need to do better than the WaPo, if you wish to change the minds of such as me.
                  I used to believe all that stuff too, until one day I realised that it all came out of one source – the US of A – and it had the decided look of a “just so” story. Then Noam Chomsky, and – qu’on dit – the rest is history.

                  • Stuart Munro

                    I’m not particularly concerned with what you believe – I’m more concerned with the truth.

                    People without Russian friends would do better to look critically at Putin rather than swallow the RT line sans salt and imagining they’re ‘edgy’.

                    With respect to Nemtsov, Ukrainian links or sympathies are probably material. But you shouldn’t imagine that Putin needs a strong rational argument – the killing of Litvinenko wasn’t strictly logical – he had few or no secrets left to spill. Like Bush’s invasion of Iraq, the combination of power and spite is sufficient explanation.

    • Ovid 5.3

      Most of these were erected in the 1920s – in parallel with a surge in popularity for the KKK or in the 1960s as a reaction against the civil rights movement.

      If museums want them, they should be welcome to take them, but statues on their own are a poor way to educate people about their history.

    • adam 5.4

      Don’t agree there Bill. The overwhelming majority of these were put up after the first world war, when Jim Crow was just getting seriously into stride.

      They server a direct political purpose to both black and white Americans. My white friends from the south, talk about the reminder being don’t rock the boat, and side with black Americans at any turn.

      Where are the statues of Eugene V. Debs?

      • joe90 5.4.1

        after the first world war

        Dedications and monuments were part of post reconstruction efforts to disenfranchise the new others.

        https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/whoseheritage-timeline150_years_of_iconography.jpg

        https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/whoseheritage_splc.pdf

        • adam 5.4.1.1

          Thanks joe90, must have got monuments and schools mixed up in what I was reading.

          That Southern Poverty Law Report is nothing short of stunning. They do some great work.

      • Bill 5.4.2

        So my angle is this Adam. You know all those caves down by the bottom of Otago Harbour? And how “no-one” knows what they are or what they’re about? And how the placement of Rongo Rock was an overgrown piece of wasteland? And how ‘settler NZ’ would rather pretend that everything was just mungbeans?

        And no. There are no memorials to Eugene Debs, or Lucy Parsons or Mary Barbour or any other working class hero, and we well know the reason why.

        • McFlock 5.4.2.1

          “No-one” knows? Don’t be so sure.

          And I recall walking past a plaque commemorating a seminal speech against poverty that was given in a church somewhere near Stafford Street. ISTR a memorial in wellington for Parnell of the 8 hour day.

          But statues don’t preserve history, only some aspects of it. And some of those aspects need to be removed from the present, and become history.

          The statues of Robert E Lee aren’t just historical. They keep that injustice alive and healthy.

  6. Stuart Munro 6

    Somewhere along the line the southern US went much further than NZ colonizers, with a corporate model of slavery. Modern slavery was very much associated with labour intensive export crops, notably sugar (as cultivated in Sicily under Arab rule in the ninth century), which seems to have been the model that spread to other plantation products like tobacco and cotton.

    Adam Smith was persuaded that slavery was uneconomic, because slave owning was more costly than hiring labour, the theory being that labourers find their own housing or subsistence, which slaves do not. But he did not anticipate the speculative market in slaves as stock, and was in any case influenced by the anti-slavery views of Hutcheson.

    The monolithic corporate agriculture that developed slavery on a large scale has generally been absent from NZ, at least until the recent dairy intensification. But large scale slave run agriculture (the Sardinian and Sicilian grain farms) were a feature of the Roman late republic and contemporaneous with its decline. Slavery depressed wages in the southern part of the US and arguably held back its development as compared to the north, for all that individual slave owners became in some instances very wealthy.

  7. AsleepWhileWalking 7

    We have Waitangi day. Who needs dusty old statues to glorify war?

    Evolution 4.0 (predictive software with a 96% accuracy rate) put the chances of civil war breaking out in the US at 70% back in April/May of this year. Hardly a good example to follow.

  8. dukeofurl 8

    Theres a park in Taipei where they parked all the unwanted Chiang Kai shek Statues

    Theres 100s apparently, its quite bizarre
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Kai-shek_statues

    In Auckland, the Council asked for a got a statute of George Eden, Earl of Auckland that originally was in Kolkata. They had a policy of removing these colonial relics, Eden had been Governor of Bengal or something.

  9. JC 9

    “The Great South Road that was the original route over the Bombay Hills was first built as a supply line for military invasion. That invasion was instigated by political manipulation that excluded Māori from any meaningful say and largely benefited wealthy Auckland speculators.

    The British troops weren’t bringing civilisation when they crossed the Mangatawhiri River. They were about to wreck it.”

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/stories/201818953/'tainui-has-never-forgotten-the-atrocities-against-their-women-and-children

    or

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/315695/recognising-nz-wars-'so-important-for-our-cultural-identity

    or this great piece by Jack McDonald on Parihaka

    https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/09-06-2017/a-milestone-day-for-parihaka-and-for-the-long-march-to-justice-and-peace-in-aotearoa/

    Theirs Hope yet…Without the rubble

  10. Steve Alfreds 10

    But there are various statues around the country celebrating the Crown’s hand in the Land Wars. The Nixon Memorial in Otahuhu is an example. It’s in honour of Colonel Marmaduke Nixon who fought in the Waikato Land Wars.

    https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/nixon-memorial-otahuhu

    Here’s another example. The Ihaka Whaanga NZ Wars memorial in honour of the Ngati Kahungunu chief who fought with the Crown to suppress the Hauhau in the Hawkes Bay in the 1860s and 1870s.

    https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/ihaka-whaanga-nz-wars-memorial

    Should they be pulled down, or do they serve as a reminder of the country’s dark past?

    • dukeofurl 10.1

      Theres a small monument just beside a bridge on the road to Waiuku, which I think is for some local settlers killed fighting the Maoris in the 1860s

  11. CoroDale 11

    Interesting stuff. Relevant to consider the War Memorials on the wooden walls in the Beehives’s main debating chamber. Paradoxical to hear an Old Boy from the Mana Party naming this as justification for his conservatism on issues in the leaders’ debate.

    When will the walls of Parliament celebrate cooperation and peace?

  12. JC 12

    http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/national-monuments-war-graves/list-national-monuments

    A list of our national monuments… from the NZ Ministry of Culture and Heritage….

    Sad really.. or Really Sad!

  13. Huginn 13

    There used to be a statue in Symonds St, Auckland, at the intersection of Wakefield St (I think).

    From memory, the plaque was dedicated to British troops and ‘friendly Maoris’ who fought the Land Wars.

    It was tarred and feathered, and painted red a few times in the 1970’s, taken away, and cleaned up, and put back. And then, probably around 1981, the council decided not to put it back.

    I’m not sure how I feel about it at the moment. Something needed to be done about it, but we can see now that it’s removal has also enabled an erasure of the memory of the wars

    • D'Esterre 13.1

      Huginn:”There used to be a statue in Symonds St, Auckland, at the intersection of Wakefield St (I think).

      From memory, the plaque was dedicated to British troops and ‘friendly Maoris’ who fought the Land Wars.”

      It’s still there;we walked past it a couple of hours ago.

      In my view, it is where it ought to be. Attempting to expunge such symbols of the past smacks of revisionism.

      As LP Hartley famously said, “The past is a foreign country: they do things differently there”. Back then, perspectives that are now deplored were almost universally shared. Many of you commenting here might well be horrified by what your great-grandparents thought about the world. My late grandmother said of my late mother: “Oh, Catherine’s a real little democrat”. It wasn’t a compliment. Mother told the story with great relish!

  14. Antoine 14

    > Perhaps we find it all faintly embarrassing.

    I think this is the key point. Americans are much more prone to Public Displays of Patriotism. Look at all the fuss they make over their flag.

    I would think that pretty much most Kiwis would be embarrassed to make a big deal out of any statue in NZ, whatever their political beliefs or what it was a statue of.

    A.

  15. eco Maori/kiwi 15

    Well of course the New Zealand Land was are a embarrassment to the Government.
    It was basically Maori against Maori as Maori out number the settlers by about 10 to 1.
    And Maori were the first use Papatuanuku for war i.e trench warfare the Europeans copied this tactic off Maori in world war one and two.
    Also Maori never lost a war to the settlers never you see Maori had a war fighting culture fighting wars was part of our DNA . These old Rangatira {Chief} were as clever as Sun Tzu they did not like losing a war or any of there Mata-kai-kutu {Warrior] .
    These Rangatira would never engage in a fight with out a retreat plan or in a war that the opposition had the high ground or a greater tactical position.

    Nagti Porou were the tribe that sided with the settlers as tactfully this move was good for the tribe you see the Maori tribes all ways did what was good for the many.
    And look at how the Government has rewared Nagti Porou .
    They have the highest unemployment in New Zealand the drug PEE runs rampant trough there community’s .Like I have said Nagti Porou are a shadow of there days when Apirana Ngata was was a live. Nagti Porou were the back bone of the New Zealand economy.
    But all the Nga Iwi of New Zealand were great and industrious and advanced educated people. In 1840 The Maori had a higher % of people reading and writing than the settlers Maori were the first to export to Australia.
    This is why I say to all of us with Maori ancestry to be proud of this fact and hold your head up high so as to Honour our Ancestors .
    But now were are all Kiwis in New Zealand lets not discriminate against others.

    • Exkiwiforces 15.1

      Well said and having visited a number of New Zealand Land War sites in my younger days. The Maoris knew a thing or too about war fighting than the Poms/ Settlers did.
      During WW1 awful lot of Maoris volunteer for active service, but government of the day were still shit scare of the Maoris taking up arms again and thence why the Maoris were given a so called non combat role as Pioneers role not a full combat Infantry role. But in saying that I understand a number NZ officers did turn a blind eye on occasions as the sound of the Maoris going in combat put the fear of god into the poor old Boche who by the way thought it was dammed ungentlemanly using theses savages/ natives in a white mans war.

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    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A StepbyStep Guide Losing your iPhone call history can be frustrating, especially when you need to find a specific number or recall an important conversation. But before you panic, know that there are ways to retrieve deleted call logs on your iPhone, even without a computer. This guide will explore various methods, ranging from simple checks to utilizing iCloud backups and thirdparty applications. So, lets dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. Thats why they introduced the Recently Deleted folder for various apps, including the Phone app. This folder acts as a safety net, storing deleted call logs for up to 30 days before permanently erasing them. Heres how to check it: Open the Phone app on your iPhone. Tap on the Recents tab at the bottom. Scroll to the top and tap on Edit. Select Show Recently Deleted. Browse the list to find the call logs you want to recover. Tap on the desired call log and choose Recover to restore it to your call history. 2. Restore from iCloud Backup: If you regularly back up your iPhone to iCloud, you might be able to retrieve your deleted call log from a previous backup. However, keep in mind that this process will restore your entire phone to the state it was in at the time of the backup, potentially erasing any data added since then. Heres how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose Erase All Content and Settings. Follow the onscreen instructions. Your iPhone will restart and show the initial setup screen. Choose Restore from iCloud Backup during the setup process. Select the relevant backup that contains your deleted call log. Wait for the restoration process to complete. 3. Explore ThirdParty Apps (with Caution): ...
    11 hours ago
  • How to Factory Reset iPhone without Computer: A Comprehensive Guide to Restoring your Device
    Life throws curveballs, and sometimes, those curveballs necessitate wiping your iPhone clean and starting anew. Whether you’re facing persistent software glitches, preparing to sell your device, or simply wanting a fresh start, knowing how to factory reset iPhone without a computer is a valuable skill. While using a computer with ...
    18 hours ago
  • How to Call Someone on a Computer: A Guide to Voice and Video Communication in the Digital Age
    Gone are the days when communication was limited to landline phones and physical proximity. Today, computers have become powerful tools for connecting with people across the globe through voice and video calls. But with a plethora of applications and methods available, how to call someone on a computer might seem ...
    19 hours ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    19 hours ago
  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    19 hours ago
  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    19 hours ago
  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    19 hours ago
  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    19 hours ago
  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    20 hours ago
  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    21 hours ago
  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    22 hours ago
  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    22 hours ago
  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    22 hours ago
  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    22 hours ago
  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    22 hours ago
  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    23 hours ago
  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 day ago
  • Despair – construction consenting edition
    Eric Crampton writes – Kainga Ora is the government’s house building agency. It’s been building a lot of social housing. Kainga Ora has its own (but independent) consenting authority, Consentium. It’s a neat idea. Rather than have to deal with building consents across each different territorial authority, Kainga Ora ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Coalition promises – will the Govt keep the commitment to keep Kiwis equal before the law?
    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    1 day ago
  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 day ago
  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    1 day ago
  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    2 days ago
  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago
  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago
  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    3 days ago
  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    3 days ago
  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    3 days ago
  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    3 days ago
  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    4 days ago
  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    5 days ago
  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

    Cats, with their independent spirit and beguiling purrs, have captured the hearts of humans for millennia. In New Zealand, felines are no exception, boasting the highest national cat ownership rate globally [definition cat nz cat foundation]. An estimated 1.134 million pet cats grace Kiwi households, compared to 683,000 dogs ...

    5 days ago
  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    6 days ago
  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    6 days ago
  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Minister releases Fast-track stakeholder list
    The Government is today releasing a list of organisations who received letters about the Fast-track applications process, says RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop. “Recently Ministers and agencies have received a series of OIA requests for a list of organisations to whom I wrote with information on applying to have a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 mins ago
  • Judicial appointments announced
    Attorney-General Judith Collins today announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister David Jonathan Boldt as a Judge of the High Court, and the Honourable Justice Matthew Palmer as a Judge of the Court of Appeal. Justice Boldt graduated with an LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 1990, and also holds ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 hour ago
  • Education Minister heads to major teaching summit in Singapore
    Education Minister Erica Stanford will lead the New Zealand delegation at the 2024 International Summit on the Teaching Profession (ISTP) held in Singapore. The delegation includes representatives from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA) Te Wehengarua and the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) Te Riu Roa.  The summit is co-hosted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Value of stopbank project proven during cyclone
    A stopbank upgrade project in Tairawhiti partly funded by the Government has increased flood resilience for around 7000ha of residential and horticultural land so far, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones today attended a dawn service in Gisborne to mark the end of the first stage of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Anzac commemorations, Türkiye relationship focus of visit
    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will represent the Government at Anzac Day commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula next week and engage with senior representatives of the Turkish government in Istanbul.    “The Gallipoli campaign is a defining event in our history. It will be a privilege to share the occasion ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago
  • Minister to Europe for OECD meeting, Anzac Day
    Science, Innovation and Technology and Defence Minister Judith Collins will next week attend the OECD Science and Technology Ministerial conference in Paris and Anzac Day commemorations in Belgium. “Science, innovation and technology have a major role to play in rebuilding our economy and achieving better health, environmental and social outcomes ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago
  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago
  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
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