Politics or Policy?

Written By: - Date published: 5:46 pm, October 9th, 2017 - 56 comments
Categories: Economy, election 2017, Financial markets, leadership, nz first, winston peters - Tags:

Policy is everything, Winston Peters said today. This should not come as a surprise. Before every election, he has refused to give any hint of Party support preference until after the vote. But it is highly likely that he has thought a lot about what he might want to do particularly as it has long been clear that his Party would likely decide the outcome. So what are his policies?

His priorities, his preferences and his principles have been clear since the formation of New Zealand First in 1993. He gave a good summary in this interview with Bernard Hickey before the 2014 election. Export-oriented economy, a reasonable exchange rate, a strong manufacturing sector, local processing for good jobs, and so on. They might be updated but they won’t have changed.

Unlike the self-centred image crafted for him by some of the bloviating egos in the media, Peters is a serious politician. New Zealand First is a principle, not just a name. In 1996, it was highly likely that he would go with National. Labour’s vote was only 28%, and earlier in the year NZ First had been ahead of Labour. And  behind Labour stood the Alliance, who were still opposed to Labour at the time. This time it may be different, as Labour and NZ First certainly have a better policy fit, and Labour and the Greens have reached significant accommodation.

The tight time-frame certainly indicates that Winston is setting the agenda for the talks. As said above he  has had plenty of time to think about what he wants and how to get it. We will know on Thursday.

 

 

56 comments on “Politics or Policy? ”

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  1. tracey 1
    9 October 2017 at 5:55 pm

    Do you have a view as to what the thinking is behind him not talking directly to the Greens?

    I am assuming it was indicated to Labour early on that NZF wouldnt so does that mean Labour and Greens were meeting last week so Labour knows what will or wont fly with Greens when speaking to NZF?

    • lprent 1.1
      9 October 2017 at 6:06 pm

      It just makes it too complicated doing a direct 3-way. It is always like that

      If he talks to the primary contract with Labour and so do the Greens, then Labour has to balance any deal – which is what they’d probably wind up having to do anyway in government. Better to find out now if they are up for it.

      The inability of Labour to find common ground with the Alliance back in 1996 was what doomed the possible coalition then. Especially since the Alliance was also trying to balance their internal coalition.

      • WILD KATIPO 1.1.1
        9 October 2017 at 6:11 pm

        So basically he negotiates with Labour then Labour and the Greens hold a pow wow between them and sort out some areas then go back to Peters ?

      • Pedant 1.1.2
        11 October 2017 at 12:43 am

        It is as simple as Ardern saying to Shaw, if you don’t back us on confidence and supply with NZF then the public will know you are the reason National is back in power. Shaw for these reasons has zero power, Ardern knows there is nowhere for him to go. He is irrelevant.

        • Macro 1.1.2.1
          11 October 2017 at 2:37 am

          If you were a true pedant then you would know that that decision is not for James Shaw to make.
          Further more you would understand that as far as Winston is concerned the only viable option is a full muster of seats on the governing benches. Talk of confidence and supply is simply hogwash. Why else would he wait for the specials to be counted, if it was not to confirm an increased majority on the left?
          Winston has been in Parliament long enough to understand what a working majority is.
          If the Greens are not part of the next Government, then it will be a National led government, and it will not be the fault of the Greens, and NZF will wear it.

    • WILD KATIPO 1.2
      9 October 2017 at 6:06 pm

      It truly is a baffling time,… Peters seems to be wanting to strike now for a more pre 1984 way of running the country ,… which is the best news I’ve heard in 33 years if it means hes going to demand the neutering of neo liberalism.

      As for the Greens ,… its a worry there seems to be this peculiar ‘third party’ thing going on currently. Greens social policy has much to offer and is compatible -ish with Labour and NZ First. Also environmental issues. Just a few tweaks and compromises from all 3 party’s and we could have a true renaissance of NZ politics. It would truly be dynamic.

    • infused 1.3
      10 October 2017 at 7:07 pm

      Because the greens are irrelevant. The Greens should have gone to National first. The Greens will be sidelined in any LAB+NZF+Green govt.

      The Greens will, of course, take this deal.

      • Draco T Bastard 1.3.1
        11 October 2017 at 2:08 am

        It is National that is becoming increasingly irrelevant as they try to prevent the evolution of society away from being a capitalist one.

        They, too, cannot stop the tide.

  2. WILD KATIPO 2
    9 October 2017 at 5:59 pm

    This guy reckons he leads a strong party. And he doesn’t like Winston. Some people call him Seymour , – others are more honest and call him Rimmer. And there is a reason Rimmer doesn’t like Winston. Winston stands for everything Rimmer opposes…

    https://resources.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/l/n/y/w/0/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620×349.1m5xxz.png/1507517642755.jpg

    But somehow?… I don’t think Winstons too worried about Rimmer,… and it looks like Winstons going to drive a nail into the coffin of neo liberalism this time round.

    Particularly after today’s talk of changing the way this country has been run economically and socially.

    We could just be starting to look at the healing of this country after 33 years of garbage. And that’s why Rimmer hates Winston.

  3. lprent 3
    9 October 2017 at 6:02 pm

    Pretty much my view. Just wait and see what happens. Picking at the zit just adds bacteria and makes it worse. Besides, I think that Winston will just ignore it. Who else has as much experience at doing this these days 🙂

    I know that there is a lot of policy overlap with Labour, and despite rhetoric to the contrary there is probably even more overlap with the Greens.

    But there is a delicate balance within the factions in National about their current policies. I am sure that beneath the surface there is a civil war just waiting to break out between the conservatives/country party and the liberals. I think that dropping NZ First on to that is likely to set the same match to the explosion that caused such a fracture in National and between National and their voters in 1996-99.

    I rather suspect that the angst about NZ First inside the liberal wing of National is what has been driving some of the totally weird shit that they have been pushing about Winston and the Greens in the last couple of weeks

    • NewsFlash 3.1
      9 October 2017 at 6:52 pm

      Wonderful analogy, “picking at the zit”.

      Patients is a Virtue, and National have never been particularly virtuous.

    • Skinny 3.2
      9 October 2017 at 7:29 pm

      +1
      Your on to it sailor I give you 9 out of 10 for that astute call. It would have been a perfect 10 for your puff piece but for room for improvement and dare I say keeping your ego in check 🙂

  4. Robert Guyton 4
    9 October 2017 at 6:27 pm

    On KB, this guy says:
    “Rightandleft

    First of all National is down 4 seats from the 2014 result, which is a sizeable drop. But it’s even bigger when the only way they have maintained 56 seats is to cannibalise the vote of their support partners. Maori lost two seats and United Future lost 1, so they’re really down 7 seats. ACT kept their seat only through their sweetheart deal while their party vote also dropped yet again.

    Comparing just the National and Labour vote is a ridiculous way to analyse things. That would always punish the left bloc for splitting their vote between 2 parties. Labour and the Greens have to be counted together. As Labour was only 5,000 special votes short of taking a third seat of National that would have tied the two blocs at 55-55 it is practically a tie between the two blocs.

    But that doesn’t take into account that a significant majority of NZ First voters lean left as well. Their campaign slogan was “Had Enough?” and a pre-election poll showed their voters favoured Labour over National by 60% to 25%. Their annual conference was dominated by attacks on “Neo-Liberalism” and National Party globalists driving open-door immigration. They are clearly more ideologically aligned with the Left bloc.

    It was a vote for change. A narrow one, with Labour-Greens combined 43.2%, Just over half of NZ First’s vote (say 3.8%) adding up to 48% with the Nats (44.5), ACT (0.5), Maori (1.1) and a quarter of NZ First’s vote (1.8) adding up to 47.9%. Now TOP got 2.2% and I suspect the majority of their voters (being mainly stolen from the Greens) also wanted to get rid of National, but they were at least open to Morgan working with the Nats so I won’t give them to either side. The same could be said of the Maori Party vote of course.

    What I am hearing from party insiders and what I gather from all the rubbish from Farrar and other Nats about a National-Green Government is that Winston is much more likely to go with Labour. Personally I’d put the chances at a 70-30 advantage to Labour right now.”

    https://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2017/10/seats_lost_after_nine_years_of_government.html#comments

    • Psycho Milt 4.1
      9 October 2017 at 6:42 pm

      Rightandleft is always good value, especially on anything to do with charter schools.

    • NewsFlash 4.2
      9 October 2017 at 6:45 pm

      Robert

      I’m an optimist too, but all the kafuffle over the special votes, wait and see, and then Peters arguing with the media about the outcome and stating that it is “significant”, puts me in the same boat as you, a likely L/G/NZF govt, but nothing is written in stone.

      Just saw English being interviewed by H Barry, and still didn’t see the level of optimism that you would expect if things looked like they’re going his way. btw, Barry and Hoskings need to go, I’m not sure which one is worse.

      • Robert Guyton 4.2.1
        9 October 2017 at 7:31 pm

        Wanted to make a joke about Mrs Kerfuffle, Bart’s teacher, but luckily, checked the spelling only to be reminded that it was Edna Krabappel , so was saved the ignominity of revealing I’d misremembered her name. Then, much chastened by the near miss/old Mrs, thought to check ignominity and discovered that I’d struck it lucky, as my version is considered a kosher alternative to ignominy. Phew! Checking kosher now…

      • cleangreen 4.2.2
        10 October 2017 at 7:25 pm

        100% NEWSFLASH.
        “H. Barry and Hoskings need to go, I’m not sure which one is worse.”

        I dont like RNZ’s Suzie Furguson either as she was today on RNZ + annoyed me big time when she kept asking Winston over and over the same bloody dumb questions abiout talking to the Greens!!!!! – GGGGRRRRRR!

        She was doing the classic thing fishing to trap Winston, but she failed and looked stupid instead.

        She is seeming to be trying to help Bill English by entrapping Winston with words she needs to go if she doesn’t clean-up her act.

        She should remeber she is a public servant and act with some integrity instead of having a secret agenda.

    • Ian 4.3
      9 October 2017 at 8:59 pm

      Wishfull thinking Robert.Love it how you are now qualifying the vote for change as a narrow one. Order in bulk tissues mate , you are going to need them. Adding Winston to the NZ green party is like adding petrol to Harpic.If it happens dive for cover because the subsequent explosion will cover everyone in shit.

      • Robert Guyton 4.3.1
        9 October 2017 at 9:03 pm

        Ian, science question: how does adding petrol to Harpic create shit?

        • Antoine 4.3.1.1
          10 October 2017 at 1:38 pm

          I believe the concept is that you mix petrol into the Harpic, swill it vigorously around your long drop, then toss in a match, causing the entire shithouse to head skyward in a cloud of fragments. I have not verified this experimentally though.

          A.

          • WILD KATIPO 4.3.1.1.1
            10 October 2017 at 1:41 pm

            Yeah – ammonia derivatives , that’s why. Makes a nice gas to mix with the benzene molecule etc etc… my science days were years ago so whatever.

      • WILD KATIPO 4.3.2
        9 October 2017 at 9:07 pm

        Hehehee ,… except if Winston and the Greens kiss and make up ,…. you know what that means for National ,- not just next election , but election , after election , after election , after election ,… I’m sure you are starting to get the drift now ,… need I say more.

        So you can put away your petrol and your ‘Harpic’ ( ???) until after Thursday…

  5. Once was Tim 5
    9 October 2017 at 6:52 pm

    In celebrity news today, MSM musings over policy took second place whilst the 1,000 word count loomed: Did anyone notice Paula getting into the lift today? Leopard skin prints – all gone. Paling Blue tending Teal – all gone. A Funeral Black tailored number – possibly in shiffon, or – perhaps rayon – complete with white Maggie Thatcher Gucci style handbag that’s now in vogue and all the rage in Monaco. Alongside her, Bill smirked and waddled in formal Blue, whilst the choice of his deputy’s unpressed shirt told its own story as they all shuffled into the Beehive lift.

    • Robert Guyton 5.1
      9 October 2017 at 7:20 pm

      Bill was wearing his deputy’s unpressed shirt!
      A sure sign that Winston’s gone Left!

    • Quasimodo 5.2
      10 October 2017 at 11:24 am

      “Leopard skin prints – all gone. Paling Blue tending Teal – all gone. A Funeral Black tailored number – possibly in shiffon, or – perhaps rayon – complete with white Maggie Thatcher Gucci style handbag that’s now in vogue and all the rage in Monaco.”

      OMG where will Paula go now ? Teresa May might need a hand to sort out Brexit ..

  6. Jilly Bee 6
    9 October 2017 at 9:24 pm

    I can’t but help think that we may be in line for the perfect political shit storm/melt down with all the N Z First so-called bottom lines coming into play – foreign ownership, construction industry, migrant cut, investment bans to name a few if Winston Peters does decide to go with National. The Nats will surely be choking on those big rats they will have to swallow and their membership plus their big backers and (overseas?) donors, as well as the much vaunted Blue Dragon brigade, will be wondering what the hell has gone to curdled custard. Interesting times ahead, indeed. Will it be a poisoned chalice for Labour and the Greens as well? I know I’m hedging my bets – just hope for a Labour/Green alliance with N Z First as they have so much more in common than the Nats, I’ll be mad as hell if they go with them, but the perfect storm may be worth witnessing. Sorry to be so indecisive, but these are interesting times – again!
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/political/341131/shuddering-halt-would-follow-drastic-migrant-cut-ema
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11931216
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11931184

  7. WILD KATIPO 7
    9 October 2017 at 9:45 pm

    … ” I can’t but help think that we may be in line for the perfect political shit storm/melt down with all the N Z First so-called bottom lines coming into play – foreign ownership, construction industry, migrant cut, investment bans to name a few if Winston Peters does decide to go with National ” …

    L00L ! , – it would be a right corker to watch !

    Watching Peters dismantle neo liberalism piece by piece , vetoing Bill after Bill , tearing down the sacred cows of free trade deals , TTPA , – kicking in all the vested interests and making all the little New Zealand Initiative people sad… 33 years of careful planning and political manipulating all down the DRAIN !!!

    Maybe THIS will be the legacy Peters has been after all these years !!!

    I reckon this songs kinda says it all , – just replace ‘Jim’ and ‘Slim ‘ with ‘ Win ‘ ….

    And you’ll get the drift.

    Jim Croce – Greatest Hits – You Don’t Mess Around With Jim – YouTube

    • UncookedSelachimorpha 7.1
      10 October 2017 at 9:20 am

      One way or another, TPPA, or at least the worst aspects (e.g. ISDS) are dead in a Winston deal – a good outcome.

      https://www.parliament.nz/en/document/50HansQ_20130821_00000009

      • red-blooded 7.1.1
        10 October 2017 at 10:23 am

        Surely that depends on who he goes with. National are very committed to reviving what they can of TPPA. Winston won’t get all of his bottom lines.

        • WILD KATIPO 7.1.1.1
          10 October 2017 at 10:41 am

          He will if he threatens to walk on the TTPA issue….

          • red-blooded 7.1.1.1.1
            10 October 2017 at 11:45 am

            How does that get him ALL of his bottom lines? (There’re heaps of them.)

            Besides, I wonder if the Nats would let him walk. Some dead rats are too big to swallow. They’re absolutely committed to TPPA and might well calculate that having a term out of government would be better than putting themselves in a position from which they’d find it hard to sidle up to their TPP buddies and try to get in on whatever’s left of the deal, later on.

            We’ll soon see, of course.

            • WILD KATIPO 7.1.1.1.1.1
              10 October 2017 at 11:58 am

              Reality is Peters wont get all his bottom lines,… and even he realizes that. ( And even more so if he goes with National . And that’s a real clue ) . Just look at the Maori seats thing. Just bargaining chips some of them,… but others , .. like the TTPA ,… goes right against everything Peters ever stood for both economically and socially.

              Those words ‘ economically and socially ‘ ,… interesting , as thats what Peters outlined yesterday … that there is going to be a change in the way this country has been run for the last 30 years , both ‘economically and socially’…

              That should tell us what is closest to Peters heart.

              He don’t like neo liberalism and never has. And that’s also why he battled with Ruth Richardson , Jenny Shipley , – and – ACT.

              And he knows the TTPA is something National wants. Peters will definitely use this as an unchanging bottom line . This one is no fantasy.

              Here’s another very telling paragraph from Peters election night speech which seems quite pointed in its effect :

              … ” We don’t like extremists, – we believe in laws and policy’s that support the mass majority of New Zealanders , and not just a small elite ,… who may have gotten control of the political system and the financial funding of political party’s , … shows that in this campaign ” …

              – Winston Peters.

              23/9/2017.

      • CHCOff 7.1.2
        10 October 2017 at 2:17 pm

        TPPA is ‘soviet union/communism’ supply side monopoly type central planning economics, without any sense of nationhood or sovereignty to reign in the crime syndicates that would flourish over the old social structures.

        If other countries go down that path and NZ is free of it, then NZ Goods & Services will have a significant ‘relative’ advantage and reputation in the medium to long term.

  8. Strategos 8
    10 October 2017 at 11:01 am

    Winston needs a full facial moko to complement facial lines / skin creases around his eyes.
    It would be a well-honed test of character in preparation for a starring role on the world stage.

    An appropriate headline would be
    “NZ1st’ Deflates Pseudo Patriotic Pretensions of ‘National’ ”
    .. but I won’t be holding my breath.

    • WILD KATIPO 8.1
      10 October 2017 at 11:23 am

      … ” Winston needs a full facial moko to complement facial lines / skin creases around his eyes ”…

      I’ve thought that from time to time as he has aged a bit , – you can see flashes of it in his face . Peters wouldn’t , … but it would befit the man for sure. Something Chiefly about the man , … elder statesman sort of thing . Doesn’t take crap from anyone.

    • Robert Guyton 8.2
      10 October 2017 at 3:05 pm

      He raperape would be more suitable and great fun for Winston at parties.

  9. Antoine 9
    10 October 2017 at 12:11 pm

    > Policy is everything, Winston Peters said today.

    Although, he may just be saying that.

    A.

  10. WILD KATIPO 10
    10 October 2017 at 2:43 pm

    Great article by Chris Trotter today in Stuff , observing the very legacy of Peters…

    Chris Trotter: ‘Dear Winston’ – an open letter to the leader of NZ First …
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/…/chris-trotter-dear-winston–an-open-letter-to-the-leader-of-nz-…

  11. cleangreen 11
    10 October 2017 at 7:40 pm

    Winston is turning out to be our saviour we were all searching for after reading all these excellent blogs.

    So to ‘all my fine friends here’ I am joining the chorus on this post also, asking Winston to go ‘left’ through his 33 ys of “policys” as he begins to chip away at the rotting Neo-liberal greedy carcass of the once “grand old national party” and returns New Zealand to a “brighter fiuture as we had pre- 1984.” as his ‘Legacy’ gift back to us all.

    “Take back our country” time is upon us shortly.

    • WILD KATIPO 11.1
      10 October 2017 at 8:04 pm

      TBH ,… I’ve got a feeling it wont matter if he goes Labour or National in some respects this time round ,… there’s something afoot and Peters is talking ‘change’ – social and economic change in the ‘ way this country is being run’ .

      Those are fighting words.

      Because the only way this country has been run in Peters words ‘since 1984 ‘ has been a neo liberal one. He is obviously working on overturning that .

      And hes got them all by the short and curly’s and they know it.

      And they are all going to have to buck up their ideas.

  12. Orthodoxia 12
    10 October 2017 at 7:55 pm

    Whoever Winston does go with, I do hope that between them they properly deal with the housing issue. We need to get foreign speculators out, stop property investment being so attractive tax wise and encourage the younger generation into housing (perhaps by reinjecting Kiwisaver with some fresh energy). Also need to seriously look at social housing stock. Without stable accommodation, education, health etc are not much use.

  13. JanM 13
    10 October 2017 at 11:14 pm

    I really hope the cancellation of National Standards is a ‘bottom line’. So tired of watching my grandchildren burdened with this nonsense. Go Tracey!

  14. WILD KATIPO 14
    11 October 2017 at 12:07 am

    Hehehe… interesting article on Stuff ,…

    … ” This shouldn’t be overstated. If weaker business sentiment contributed to a weaker kiwi dollar, export returns would improve and the country would become even more attractive for international tourists ” …

    Interesting Peters is taking a swipe at ‘ foreign investment ‘ and intent on lowering the dollar all in one breath and that it will favour exporters ( the rural provincials etc … ) – and revitalizing the manufacturing base …

    Pattrick Smellie: On whose watch does the rock star economy give up …
    https://www.stuff.co.nz/…/Pattrick-Smellie-On-whose-watch-does-the-rock-star-econom…

  15. Delia 15
    11 October 2017 at 9:15 am

    I don’t vote Peters because we always wind up with him glorying in this b/s, when a first priority should be the people of the country. We should know before the election who his party is the most compatible with…well here is his swan song at our expense.

  16. marious 16
    16 October 2017 at 9:58 am

    The voting public should vote on a current governments record to decide clearly who they wont to govern.
    Not Winston Peters or any other politician.
    All parties should clearly state their support preferences and policies before the election allowing the public to make a clear choice.
    If the voting public are re-leaved of the choice and politicians make the decision, as NZ first is doing, whats the point of having people vote in an election?
    System needs adjustment.

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    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy at 10:06am on Wednesday, May 1:The Lead: Business confidence fell across the board in April, falling in some areas to levels last seen during the lockdowns because of a collapse in ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the coalition’s awful, not good, very bad poll results
    Over the past 36 hours, Christopher Luxon has been dong his best to portray the centre-right’s plummeting poll numbers as a mark of virtue. Allegedly, the negative verdicts are the result of hard economic times, and of a government bravely set out on a perilous rescue mission from which not ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 day ago

  • New HOP readers for future payment options
    Auckland Transport have started rolling out new HOP card readers around the network and over the next three months, all of them on buses, at train stations and ferry wharves will be replaced. The change itself is not that remarkable, with the new readers looking similar to what is already ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 day ago

  • 2024 Reading Summary: April (+ Writing Update)
    Completed reads for April: The Difference Engine, by William Gibson and Bruce Sterling Carnival of Saints, by George Herman The Snow Spider, by Jenny Nimmo Emlyn’s Moon, by Jenny Nimmo The Chestnut Soldier, by Jenny Nimmo Death Comes As the End, by Agatha Christie Lord of the Flies, by ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    2 days ago

  • At a glance – Clearing up misconceptions regarding 'hide the decline'
    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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Road photos
    Have a story to share about St Paul’s, but today just picturesPopular novels written at this desk by a young man who managed to bootstrap himself out of father’s imprisonment and his own young life in a workhouse Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Paula Bennett’s political appointment will challenge public confidence
    The list of former National Party Ministers being given plum and important roles got longer this week with the appointment of former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett as the chair of Pharmac. The Christopher Luxon-led Government has now made key appointments to Bill English, Simon Bridges, Steven Joyce, Roger Sowry, ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    2 days ago

  • NZDF is still hostile to oversight
    Newsroom has a story today about National's (fortunately failed) effort to disestablish the newly-created Inspector-General of Defence. The creation of this agency was the key recommendation of the Inquiry into Operation Burnham, and a vital means of restoring credibility and social licence to an agency which had been caught lying ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Winding Back The Hands Of History’s Clock.
    Holding On To The Present: The moment a political movement arises that attacks the whole idea of social progress, and announces its intention to wind back the hands of History’s clock, then democracy, along with its unwritten rules, is in mortal danger.IT’S A COMMONPLACE of political speeches, especially those delivered in ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Sweet Moderation? What Christopher Luxon Could Learn From The Germans.
    Stuck In The Middle With You: As Christopher Luxon feels the hot breath of Act’s and NZ First’s extremists on the back of his neck and, as he reckons with the damage their policies are already inflicting upon a country he’s described as “fragile”, is there not some merit in reaching out ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • A clear warning
    The unpopular coalition government is currently rushing to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act. The clause is Oranga Tamariki's Treaty clause, and was inserted after its systematic stealing of Māori children became a public scandal and resulted in physical resistance to further abductions. The clause created clear obligations ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • Poll results and Waitangi Tribunal report go unmentioned on the Beehive website – where racing tru...
    Buzz  from the Beehive The government’s official website – which Point of Order monitors daily – not for the first time has nothing much to say today about political happenings that are grabbing media headlines. It makes no mention of the latest 1News-Verian poll, for example.  This shows National down ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Listening To The Traffic.
    It Takes A Train To Cry: Surely, there is nothing lonelier in all this world than the long wail of a distant steam locomotive on a cold Winter’s night.AS A CHILD, I would lie awake in my grandfather’s house and listen to the traffic. The big wooden house was only a ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Comity Be Damned! The State’s Legislative Arm Is Flexing Its Constitutional Muscles.
    Packing A Punch: The election of the present government, including in its ranks politicians dedicated to reasserting the rights of the legislature in shaping and determining the future of Māori and Pakeha in New Zealand, should have alerted the judiciary – including its anomalous appendage, the Waitangi Tribunal – that its ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Ending The Quest.
    Dead Woman Walking: New Zealand’s media industry had been moving steadily towards disaster for all the years Melissa Lee had been National’s media and communications policy spokesperson, and yet, when the crisis finally broke, on her watch, she had nothing intelligent to offer. Christopher Luxon is a patient man - but he’s not ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 days ago

  • Will political polarisation intensify to the point where ‘normal’ government becomes impossible,...
    Chris Trotter writes –  New Zealand politics is remarkably easy-going: dangerously so, one might even say. With the notable exception of John Key’s flat ruling-out of the NZ First Party in 2008, all parties capable of clearing MMP’s five-percent threshold, or winning one or more electorate seats, tend ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, April 30
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:30am on Tuesday, May 30:Scoop: NZ 'close to the tipping point' of measles epidemic, health experts warn NZ Herald Benjamin PlummerHealth: 'Absurd and totally unacceptable': Man has to wait a year for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Bryce Edwards writes – Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Worst poll result for a new Government in MMP history
    Luxon will no doubt put a brave face on it, but there is no escaping the pressure this latest poll will put on him and the government. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Pinning down climate change's role in extreme weather
    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler In the wake of any unusual weather event, someone inevitably asks, “Did climate change cause this?” In the most literal sense, that answer is almost always no. Climate change is never the sole cause of hurricanes, heat waves, droughts, or ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago

  • Serving at Seymour's pleasure.
    Something odd happened yesterday, and I’d love to know if there’s more to it. If there was something which preempted what happened, or if it was simply a throwaway line in response to a journalist.Yesterday David Seymour was asked at a press conference what the process would be if the ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Webworm LA Pop-Up
    Hi,From time to time, I want to bring Webworm into the real world. We did it last year with the Jurassic Park event in New Zealand — which was a lot of fun!And so on Saturday May 11th, in Los Angeles, I am hosting a lil’ Webworm pop-up! I’ve been ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago

  • “Feel good” school is out
    Education Minister Erica Standford yesterday unveiled a fundamental reform of the way our school pupils are taught. She would not exactly say so, but she is all but dismantling the so-called “inquiry” “feel good” method of teaching, which has ruled in our classrooms since a major review of the New ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • 6 Months in, surely our Report Card is “Ignored all warnings: recommend dismissal ASAP”?
    Exactly where are we seriously going with this government and its policies? That is, apart from following what may as well be a Truss-Lite approach on the purported economic “plan“, and Victorian-era regression when it comes to social policy. Oh it’ll work this time of course, we’re basically assured, “the ...
    exhALANtBy exhalantblog
    3 days ago

  • Bread, and how it gets buttered
    Hey Uncle Dave, When the Poms joined the EEC, I wasn't one of those defeatists who said, Well, that’s it for the dairy job. And I was right, eh? The Chinese can’t get enough of our milk powder and eventually, the Poms came to their senses and backed up the ute ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Why Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating in the country
    Polling shows that Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has the lowest approval rating of any mayor in the country. Siting at -12 per cent, the proportion of constituents who disapprove of her performance outweighs those who give her the thumbs up. This negative rating is higher than for any other mayor ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Justice for Gaza?
    The New York Times reports that the International Criminal Court is about to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over their genocide in Gaza: Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • If there has been any fiddling with Pharmac’s funding, we can count on Paula to figure out the fis...
    Buzz from the Beehive Pharmac has been given a financial transfusion and a new chair to oversee its spending in the pharmaceutical business. Associate Health Minister David Seymour described the funding for Pharmac as “its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff”. ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • FastTrackWatch – The case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Bryce Edwards writes – Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, April 29
    TL;DR: Here’s my top 10 ‘pick ‘n’ mix of links to news, analysis and opinion articles as of 10:10am on Monday, April 29:Scoop: The children's ward at Rotorua Hospital will be missing a third of its beds as winter hits because Te Whatu Ora halted an upgrade partway through to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell on Iran killing its rappers, and searching for the invisible Dr. Reti
    span class=”dropcap”>As hideous as David Seymour can be, it is worth keeping in mind occasionally that there are even worse political figures (and regimes) out there. Iran for instance, is about to execute the country’s leading hip hop musician Toomaj Salehi, for writing and performing raps that “corrupt” the nation’s ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    3 days ago

  • Auckland Rail Electrification 10 years old
    Yesterday marked 10 years since the first electric train carried passengers in Auckland so it’s a good time to look back at it and the impact it has had. A brief history The first proposals for rail electrification in Auckland came in the 1920’s alongside the plans for earlier ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Coalition's dirge of austerity and uncertainty is driving the economy into a deeper recession
    Right now, in Aotearoa-NZ, our ‘animal spirits’ are darkening towards a winter of discontent, thanks at least partly to a chorus of negative comments and actions from the Government Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Disability Funding or Tax Cuts.
    You make people evil to punish the paststuck inside a sequel with a rotating castThe following photos haven’t been generated with AI, or modified in any way. They are flesh and blood, human beings. On the left is Galatea Young, a young mum, and her daughter Fiadh who has Angelman ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Of the Goodness of Tolkien’s Eru
    April has been a quiet month at A Phuulish Fellow. I have had an exceptionally good reading month, and a decently productive writing month – for original fiction, anyway – but not much has caught my eye that suggested a blog article. It has been vaguely frustrating, to be honest. ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #17
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 21, 2024 thru Sat, April 27, 2024. Story of the week Anthropogenic climate change may be the ultimate shaggy dog story— but with a twist, because here ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Pastor Who Abused People, Blames People
    Hi,I spent about a year on Webworm reporting on an abusive megachurch called Arise, and it made me want to stab my eyes out with a fork.I don’t regret that reporting in 2022 and 2023 — I am proud of it — but it made me angry.Over three main stories ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago

  • Vic Uni shows how under threat free speech is
    The new Victoria University Vice-Chancellor decided to have a forum at the university about free speech and academic freedom as it is obviously a topical issue, and the Government is looking at legislating some carrots or sticks for universities to uphold their obligations under the Education and Training Act. They ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Winston remembers Gettysburg.
    Do you remember when Melania Trump got caught out using a speech that sounded awfully like one Michelle Obama had given? Uncannily so.Well it turns out that Abraham Lincoln is to Winston Peters as Michelle was to Melania. With the ANZAC speech Uncle Winston gave at Gallipoli having much in ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • 25
    She was born 25 years ago today in North Shore hospital. Her eyes were closed tightly shut, her mouth was silently moving. The whole theatre was all quiet intensity as they marked her a 2 on the APGAR test. A one-minute eternity later, she was an 8.  The universe was ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Is Antarctica gaining land ice?
    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. Is Antarctica gaining land ice? ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Policing protests.
    Images of US students (and others) protesting and setting up tent cities on US university campuses have been broadcast world wide and clearly demonstrate the growing rifts in US society caused by US policy toward Israel and Israel’s prosecution of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago

  • Open letter to Hon Paul Goldsmith
    Barrie Saunders writes – Dear Paul As the new Minister of Media and Communications, you will be inundated with heaps of free advice and special pleading, all in the national interest of course. For what it’s worth here is my assessment: Traditional broadcasting free to air content through ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: FastTrackWatch – The Case for the Government’s Fast Track Bill
    Many criticisms are being made of the Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill, including by this writer. But as with everything in politics, every story has two sides, and both deserve attention. It’s important to understand what the Government is trying to achieve and its arguments for such a bold reform. ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    5 days ago

  • Luxon gets out his butcher’s knife – briefly
    Peter Dunne writes –  The great nineteenth British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, once observed that “the first essential for a Prime Minister is to be a good butcher.” When a later British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, sacked a third of his Cabinet in July 1962, in what became ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • More tax for less
    Ele Ludemann writes – New Zealanders had the OECD’s second highest tax increase last year: New Zealanders faced the second-biggest tax raises in the developed world last year, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says. The intergovernmental agency said the average change in personal income tax ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago

  • Real News vs Fake News.
    We all know something’s not right with our elections. The spread of misinformation, people being targeted with soundbites and emotional triggers that ignore the facts, even the truth, and influence their votes.The use of technology to produce deep fakes. How can you tell if something is real or not? Can ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago

  • Another way to roll
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Simon Clark: The climate lies you'll hear this year
    This video includes conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Simon Clark. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). This year you will be lied to! Simon Clark helps prebunk some misleading statements you'll hear about climate. The video includes ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Cutting the Public Service
    It is all very well cutting the backrooms of public agencies but it may compromise the frontlines. One of the frustrations of the Productivity Commission’s 2017 review of universities is that while it observed that their non-academic staff were increasing faster than their academic staff, it did not bother to ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s demoted ministers might take comfort from the British politician who bounced back after th...
    Buzz from the Beehive Two speeches delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters at Anzac Day ceremonies in Turkey are the only new posts on the government’s official website since the PM announced his Cabinet shake-up. In one of the speeches, Peters stated the obvious:  we live in a troubled ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • This is how I roll over
    1. Which of these would you not expect to read in The Waikato Invader?a. Luxon is here to do business, don’t you worry about thatb. Mr KPI expects results, and you better believe itc. This decisive man of action is getting me all hot and excitedd. Melissa Lee is how ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Waitangi Tribunal is not “a roving Commission”…
    …it has a restricted jurisdiction which must not be abused: it is not an inquisition   NOTE – this article was published before the High Court ruled that Karen Chhour does not have to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal Gary Judd writes –  The High Court ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Is Oranga Tamariki guilty of neglect?
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – One of reasons Oranga Tamariki exists is to prevent child neglect. But could the organisation itself be guilty of the same? Oranga Tamariki’s statistics show a decrease in the number and age of children in care. “There are less children ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago

  • Three Strikes saw lower reoffending
    David Farrar writes: Graeme Edgeler wrote in 2017: In the first five years after three strikes came into effect 5248 offenders received a ‘first strike’ (that is, a “stage-1 conviction” under the three strikes sentencing regime), and 68 offenders received a ‘second strike’. In the five years prior to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Luxon’s ruthless show of strength is perfect for our angry era
    Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • 'Lacks attention to detail and is creating double-standards.'
    TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • One Night Only!
    Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago

  • What did Melissa Lee do?
    It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
    Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    49 mins ago

  • Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
    The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 hours ago

  • Streamlining Building Consent Changes
    The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.      “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago

  • Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
    New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
    Good evening –   Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Accelerating airport security lines
    From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago

  • Community hui to talk about kina barrens
    People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Kiwi exporters win as NZ-EU FTA enters into force
    Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Mining resurgence a welcome sign
    There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill passes first reading
    The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government to boost public EV charging network
    Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure.  The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Residential Property Managers Bill to not progress
    The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Independent review into disability support services
    The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Justice Minister updates UN on law & order plan
    Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Ending emergency housing motels in Rotorua
    The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Trade Minister travels to Riyadh, OECD, and Dubai
    Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Education priorities focused on lifting achievement
    Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • NZTA App first step towards digital driver licence
    The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say.  “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Supporting whānau out of emergency housing
    Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Tribute to Dave O'Sullivan
    Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Speech – Eid al-Fitr
    Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government saves access to medicines
    Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff.    “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Pharmac Chair appointed
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