Pretend polling

Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, November 16th, 2007 - 32 comments
Categories: polls - Tags:

Dodgy online polls seem to be becoming a staple of political reporting here in New Zealand. The story earlier this week on poll “hacking” sent me in search of an insightful opinion I’d heard previously.

So today, we have a guest author on The Standard – BPGP, on “Pretend polling”.

Pretend Polling
BPGP

So for the second time this year a newspaper publisher has made a story out of the fictions that are their online poll results. The first was a piece earlier this year in the Dominion Post alleging Parliamentary staff had skewed their online preferred PM poll to show Clark was ahead of Key. And now we have the Herald shrieking about how a teenaged hacker skewed their online poll to show that readers didn’t think New Zealand was “becoming a less free and democratic country”, despite the Herald’s concerted efforts to convince its readers we’re heading for a Stalinist dystopia.

Both these stories demonstrate just how bogus online polls really are, and it makes me doubt their creators have ever heard of the terms “validity” or “sampling”. It is interesting though, that despite most online newspaper polls being regularly quoted as if they were the gospel truth (at least when their outcomes show opinions advantageous to their publishers’ editorial interests), these two polls are miraculously exposed as skewed.

Sometimes publishers are generous enough to mention that the polls “aren’t scientific” & a discrete way of saying they have no validity. But invariably the next sentence will go on to quote the results as if they do have meaning that can be generalized to the greater population. After all, why would you bother to run a poll if it was actually completely meaningless?

Well, there are several reasons, but few of them to do with illuminating public opinion.

One is that online polls are useful for giving the impression that publishers interact with their audiences and are genuinely interested in listening. You might say that polls help media outlets to gauge the opinion of their audiences, but in reality they aren’t so foolish as to alter their editorial stances on the basis of such flawed data (papers like the Herald use a more sound, random sampling procedure to invite clickers to participate in a Readers’ Survey for that). Online polls are also a useful gimmick for keeping up online readers’ interest and so contributing to the maintenance of hit rates.

But the main reason for using online polling is to create an impression of popular support for the outlet’s editorial stance. If you were really cynical you might think that poll commissioners just pump the data in whichever way they want it, but in reality it’s quite unnecessary to engage in such risky manipulation. There are other ways. Like priming readers with skewed reporting on the issue, such that so long as they rely on that outlet for their information on a particular issue, they are bound to come to similar conclusions as those promoted by the outlet’s reporting.

Another way is to use priming questions. The Section 59 “debate” was a gold plated example, asking questions like “Should parents have the right to discipline their children?” when in fact the bill had nothing to do with “rights to discipline”. And then there’s misrepresenting what the poll question actually meant, as in saying that because a majority understandably agree that “parents have the right to discipline their children”, they therefore are opposed to Section 59. Yet another way is to massage the response options. Typically, very complex questions are forced into Yes/No dichotomies, when respondents may in fact have more moderate or complicated responses.

Similarly, you can alter a result just by the number of response options you allow. For example, you could ask “Do you support the EFB – Yes or No?” and get 60% for and 40% against. But if you ask “Do you support the EFB – Yes, No, or Yes but with some changes?” you might get 30% Yes, 40% No, and 30% Yes but with some changes. These results of course, would then be reported as “70% percent opposed to EFB in current form”, when the same question with just a Yes/No format would have provided an unhelpful result (for the Herald at least) showing majority support for the EFB.

The Herald and Dominion Post articles point to another, user driven form of manipulating the results – multiple voting. No matter what newspapers claim about security to measures to stop such behaviour, they will always be vulnerable to it. Cookies and IP tracking to monitor voting behaviour can easily be circumvented with SSL-flushing between votes and freeware IP masking software. A little bit of script to automate the vote-flush-re-vote process makes thousands of votes just a click or two away. The only reason the Herald poll hacker got caught was his naivete and eagerness. Had he slowed down his program’s voting rate to a more naturalistic level and used IP masking, his votes would be indistinguishable from other votes. And like I said, pollsters can’t stop this from happening & it’s not technically possible. That’s why, unlike the Herald and Dominion Post, pollsters interested in real data from online polls use password controlled logins.

Even if it were possible to preclude multiple voting in online polls, they still have an enormous problems with their generalizability (the extent to which results can be assumed to be representative of a population) because of the nature of their self-selecting sampling. At best an online poll might represent the views of a website’s readership, but most websites’ poll results aren’t even representative of the site’s readership, unless all readers are equally likely to participate in the poll. In truth this isn’t so because those who do respond tend to be those who have a particular interest in the issue & ambivalent, busy or poll-savvy readers tend ignore them. In the electronic age it’s also easy for pressure groups to group-email their supporters a link to the poll, allowing mobilized interest groups to attack an online poll with just a few clicks’ effort.

So despite the fact online polls aren’t often even representative of the site readership’s views, if the results are desirable to the website’s interests they will be purported to represent “everyone”. That becomes really problematic because it assumes that “everyone” has an equal probability of participating in the online poll, even if they’ve never heard of the site, even if they’ve never heard of the issue being polled, even if they have no online access! Real polls of the entire population go to great lengths to make sure opinions are sampled from representative proportions of the demographies that comprise the entire country, in sufficient numbers to make sure margins of error are negligible. Unlike the Herald and Dominion Post, they don’t use self-selecting samples – that is, respondents aren’t those who actively seek to participate, rather they are selected by the researcher either randomly or as part of a stratified sample ensuring representative proportions of youth, elderly, North and South Islanders, Pakeha and Maori, male and female, rural and urban, etc.

Incidentally, the main problem with the accuracy of most commercial polling today, apart from priming questions, is the obsolete sampling technique of 9am to 9pm landline telephone calling, which ‘invisibilizes’ the opinions of all those without landlines (up to 67% of households in the poorest electorates), those who rely on cell phones for their principle communication channel, those who work night shifts, and those who move frequently such that their numbers are not listed – specifically, the poor and the young. Conversely, the elderly, self-employed and less transient home-owners, those who are readily contactable by such sampling methods with long-established landlines, are over-sampled. Still wondering why commercial polling tends to favour conservatives?

But back to the current fiasco of newspapers’ online polls. Doesn’t it make you wonder how many other polls might be so skewed but were never reported as such because they ‘demonstrated’ what the publisher wanted to promote? Now that the Herald and Dominion Post have acknowledged these serious weaknesses in the validity of their polls, will we see such gallant eschewal of future online poll results by their own commissioners, no matter how attractive their outcomes might be to those who published them? Will we see an improvement in the methodological integrity of polling generally? Will we see a public education campaign by news outlets on how any poll (not just the highly-vulnerable online poll) can be manipulated? I expect if the Herald or Dominion Post did a survey to see if the public had an appetite for answers to these questions, the result would be No.

Methodologically dubious polling, in terms of both priming and sampling, was epidemic in the lead up to the 2005 election and is a far greater threat to democracy than any teenage hacker able to thwart the efforts of media conglomerates like APN and Fairfax. Bogus polling is anti-democratic because it’s used to create opinions, not reflect them as they pretend to do. They create an illusion of consensus for whichever opinion is desired by the poll’s commissioning client. And when you’re talking about a public-opinion based game like politics, manufactured “public” opinion poll results can turn into self-fulfilling prophecies.

ps: The original Dominion Post story by Patrick Crewdson (published 1 Feb 2007) has since been removed from their site, so I’ve included it below. It’s a shame Parliamentary Services didn’t press the Dom Post for evidence and pursue defamation action because I know for a fact those bogus votes didn’t originate from a parliamentary server.

Parliamentary voters try to skew Key poll

Someone in Parliament now has severe finger cramps.

Yesterday’s Dominion Post poll on whether John Key will be the next prime minister proved popular with readers – particularly with those who walk the halls of power.

With more than 33,600 votes cast, 63 per cent disagreed that the National leader would succeed Helen Clark as prime minister, while 37 per cent thought he would.

But given that 17,104 of the votes were cast from parliamentary computers, Mr Key need not despair – it appears some poll participants had a vested interest.

Parliamentary workers seemingly spent yesterday supporting the status quo, 80 per cent of the votes from Parliament saying Mr Key would not be the next prime minister.

Removing all parliamentary votes from the poll meant 55 per cent favoured him as the country’s next leader.

The poll followed his first state of the nation speech.

He warned of an emerging “underclass” in New Zealand society.

Dominion Post readers were invited to vote by text message, phone, e-mail, or online at dompost.co.nz and Stuff.co.nz

Government allies outside Parliament also responded. An e-mail campaign, understood to have originated with a union, implored recipients to vote against Mr Key, urging: “go forth and vote, fellow Labourites!”

Voting in the poll was heaviest from 9am to 10am and during the lunch hour.

A related Stuff.co.nz poll had 80.9 per cent of 4000 voters supporting Mr Key’s view about a growing New Zealand “underclass”.

32 comments on “Pretend polling ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. TomS 1
    16 November 2007 at 10:24 am

    The only reason you hype such un-scientific crap is to manufacture a controversy where none exists – viz, the EFB.

  2. gobsmacked 2
    16 November 2007 at 10:35 am

    Excellent article. The way these non-polls are creeping into real news coverage is quite worrying. I can’t believe any self-respecting reporter/commentator would bother referring to them, but amazingly they do.

    Online poll update:

    “Do you support eating cute baby kittens?” 97% No.

    “Do you agree with Sue Bradford, who opposes eating cute baby kittens?” 84% No.

  3. Sam Dixon 3
    16 November 2007 at 10:48 am

    is it ok to eat the ones that aren’t cute?

    because, I’m hungry

  4. Patrick 4
    16 November 2007 at 10:54 am

    Thanks for that BPGP! It really is astounding the sort of stuff these polls cover, and even more alarming, that they’re taken seriously by some quarters of our media.

  5. Santa Claws 5
    16 November 2007 at 12:00 pm

    I assume this critique would also apply to pretend petitions?

  6. the sprout 6
    16 November 2007 at 12:22 pm

    you of all people should know Uncky Dave.

  7. Spam 7
    16 November 2007 at 1:02 pm

    I know for a fact those bogus votes didn’t originate from a parliamentary server.

    Because you know who deliberately skewed it?

  8. Santa Claws 8
    16 November 2007 at 1:56 pm

    “It’s a shame Parliamentary Services didn’t press the Dom Post for evidence and pursue defamation action”

    It’s a good thing you are a pollie and not a lawyer.

    “I know for a fact those bogus votes didn’t originate from a parliamentary server.”

    Well, since you don’t provide a name, that claim is as worth as much of one of Robespierres.

  9. Lampie 9
    16 November 2007 at 2:16 pm

    Dodgy polls alright, ask any statistician or marketer. TomS comment is straight to the point and so is the sproutandthebean link!

  10. Robinsod 10
    16 November 2007 at 2:28 pm

    Hey DPF Claws – you don’t like me much do you? First you ban me from your blog and now you call me a liar? Poor little Claws. Oh and it should be “Robespierre’s” the apostrophe is possessive as in “the claim belonging to Robespierre”. How many times do I have to school your dumb arse in this until you get it right?!

  11. Santa Claws 11
    16 November 2007 at 3:28 pm

    Well, anyone can see that its easy to Robespierres panties in a bunch.

    Call you a liar? Where’s those SIS files then? Anyway, I only said that your comments are worthless, and they are.

  12. Robinsod 12
    16 November 2007 at 3:45 pm

    DPF claws – I see you’re much nicer at KB than you are here. Why don’t you try a bit harder for us mate. Oh ans the SIS file thing is a joke, y’know like so absurd as to be funny. Kinda like your politics really…

  13. Billy 13
    16 November 2007 at 3:48 pm

    Robinsod, bro’, you’re not qualified to lecture on apostrophe use.

  14. Robinsod 14
    16 November 2007 at 3:50 pm

    Um Billy – I am quite literally qualified to lecture on apostrophe use.

  15. the bean 15
    16 November 2007 at 4:09 pm

    hehe burnt billio. robinsod stop getting all tricky with your educashun and such like. it’s too meany on the kb trolls

  16. Billy 16
    16 November 2007 at 4:12 pm

    I’m just saying that, where I come from, we put an apostrophe on the end of bro’. Old school.

  17. Robinsod 17
    16 November 2007 at 4:20 pm

    Fair enough bro‘ (just ‘cos, against all of my political instincts, I kinda like you)

  18. the bean 18
    16 November 2007 at 4:25 pm

    god, didn’t someone already try to do that one bro? i am sure i heard this nitpicky comment elsewhere….

    once “bro” has become a recognised part of the common lexicon an apostrophe is no longer justified. it is a word in its own right.

  19. Nih 19
    16 November 2007 at 4:27 pm

    You’re all well behind the times brau.

  20. r0b 20
    16 November 2007 at 4:49 pm

    “DPF claws – I see you’re much nicer at KB than you are here”

    Robinsod, I think we can pretty much put to rest the theory that Claws is DPF. Check out Santa’s post on KB last night (in the Phillida Bunkle thread):

    Santa Claws Says:

    November 15th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
    I can’t believe you guys I have just been reading this thread
    Shocking
    This is what the left at Kiwiblogblog has to say

    It’s precisely this thin veneer of really nasty bigotry that seemingly bubbles away under the surface of Right wing politics that keeps many centrists oriented to the Left.

    And I hate to say it but they are right The nastiest bigoted comments do in fact come from the right in the blogoshere. We are in danger of loosing our credibility. Visit public address they have less visitors and posts but the debate is really civilized and they are on the left.
    One day some enterprising Journo is going to do a story about poltics in the blogoshere,
    God lets hope they do not visit here.

    Can some one link to a Rightish site that has intelligent reasoned conversation please ?

    No way is that DPF. And as I said in another thread – Santa – good on ya. Well done for speaking up on KB.

    Can anyone help Santa in his search for a civil right wing blog? Santa, if you find one, will you let us know here?

  21. Spam 21
    16 November 2007 at 5:26 pm

    AFAIK, every blog DPF posts on, he does it under his own name / moniker.

  22. Billy 22
    16 November 2007 at 5:33 pm

    I have to say that, of late, I prefer coming here as well. For one thing, what’s the point of talking to a bunch of people who agree with you? And for another, it’s not a good thing having D4J on your side. But in case you lefties get complacent, remember, Maia is on your side.

  23. r0b 23
    16 November 2007 at 5:36 pm

    “I have to say that, of late, I prefer coming here as well. For one thing, what’s the point of talking to a bunch of people who agree with you?”

    Billy – there’s a good range of opinion here. And despite the fact that there are many many lapses, the tone is still mostly far better here than at KB.

    Now, I may regret asking this, but who is Maia?

  24. the bean 24
    16 November 2007 at 5:41 pm

    i have played a large part in destroying the tone of the standard today- and for that i apologise

    normally i am quite sane billy. do come and join us more often!

    maia has some good stuff to say though…

  25. Billy 25
    16 November 2007 at 5:44 pm

    r0b, there’s about the same range as at KB.

    Maia is a complete piece of work. My favourite:
    http://www.imdb.com/gallery/mptv/1091/0959_2116.jpg.html?seq=14

    She is quite serious, apparently. Enjoy.

  26. r0b 26
    16 November 2007 at 5:52 pm

    “i have played a large part in destroying the tone of the standard today- and for that i apologise”

    What? Bean – don’t fret – I’m a big fan of fun and hijinks! Love your work!

    It’s mindless personal attacks and ranting that bring blogs down, and these are what I hope The Standard can minimise. If this is a place where dissenting views are treated with respect (and then debated to bits!) then I’ll be happy.

  27. r0b 27
    16 November 2007 at 5:55 pm

    Billy – huh? – sorry if I’m dim, but I don’t get the link?

  28. Billy 28
    16 November 2007 at 7:06 pm

    Only because I posted the wrong one. Take a look at this and tell me this woman is not as mad as a cut snake:

    http://capitalismbad.blogspot.com/2006/07/beautiful-boy.html

  29. Nih 29
    16 November 2007 at 7:09 pm

    She seems to have some disorders. Good thing I’m such a big fan of crazy people using the internet.

  30. AncientGeek 30
    17 November 2007 at 11:41 am

    Getting back to the topic. That is a good article.

    Online polls are a waste of time – at best they are a media space filler, and at worst they’re used to try and manipulate public opinion by editorial comment. As a programmer, I find them ridiculous – it takes minutes to manipulate them. They are so ridiculously easy I’ve never bothered to write code to do one myself – but I have given advice on how to do it. I helped advise on that DomPost one – and whoever wrote that civil servants did it is either lying or been lied to.

    It isn’t even illegal to ummm adjust the online polls. It isn’t criminal to use whatever ‘browser’ you want on a public website, and to fill in fields with whatever means you want. Sending e-mails to an e-mail poll – well the best that you could get done with is for spam – but they requested e-mail. There is no contract to enforce – where is the consideration. I’m sure that the police could figure out a creative charge (seem to do that a lot recently), but it would be thrown out of court eventually.

    However I suspect that online polls are also ineffective. The only time I’ve ever heard anyone talking about them has been when I’m associating with the chattering classes. The politicians, journo’s, activists, and of course the online equivalent of talkback radio – blogs. I suspect you probably also hear about them on real talkback – but I avoid that.

    I don’t hear about them at work, in the extended family, friends, aqquantince, etc. They aren’t raised when I’m vigorously discussing politics or the economy. ‘Normal’ people have enough sense to know that you can’t trust online polls – they don’t even trust the ‘scientific’ polls.

    I only hear about them when there is some idiot with an ego wanting push their point of view. They are the refuge of the feeble-minded – I can’t get people to agree with me, so I’ll pretend that they do.

    Pretty much what the person in the article said.

  31. the sprout 31
    17 November 2007 at 11:57 am

    nicely said AG

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    How to Retrieve Deleted Call Log on iPhone Without a Computer: A Step–by–Step 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 third–party applications. So, let‘s dive in and recover those lost calls! 1. Check Recently Deleted Folder: Apple understands that accidental deletions happen. That‘s 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. Here‘s 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. Here‘s how to restore from an iCloud backup: Go to Settings > General > Reset. Choose “Erase All Content and Settings“. Follow the on–screen 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 Third–Party Apps (with Caution): ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    1 day 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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 ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Apposite Quotations.
    How Long Is Long Enough? Gaza under Israeli bombardment, July 2014. This posting is exclusive to Bowalley Road. ...
    Bowalley Road
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago

  • $41m to support clean energy in South East Asia
    New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    17 hours 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 hours 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
    19 hours 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
    20 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
    20 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
    21 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
    23 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
    1 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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 - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
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