Refreshing honesty from English

Written By: - Date published: 12:44 pm, January 13th, 2017 - 58 comments
Categories: bill english, International, spin, Spying - Tags: , , , , ,

Bill English yesterday – New Zealand faces ‘possible’ election hacking

US spies have found Russia ordered an ‘influence campaign’ during the US election, and President-elect Donald Trump has finally acknowledged Russia did hack Hillary Clinton’s campaign emails.

Mr English says our elections could be hacked as well.

“It’s possible I suppose – just why someone would want to interfere with our elections would be hard to imagine.”

Indeed.

However, Mr English doesn’t believe our involvement in this spying system makes us more vulnerable.

“I wouldn’t think so, no – it actually means we can work with others who can understand our systems and get the benefit of their expertise,” he says.

And Mr English doesn’t know if we face any specific danger from Russian spying.

“Look I really don’t know,” Mr English says.

“One of New Zealand’s benefits is because we’re a long way away and fairly small we don’t attract too much attention.”

A nice change from the Nats’ usual style of the big scary beat-up – who could forget the non-existant ‘Jihadi brides’ threat, and the ‘returning foreign fighters’ threat?

So let’s hear it for a bit of refreshing honesty. I guess there’s no need for all that domestic spying apparatus then?

58 comments on “Refreshing honesty from English ”

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  1. greywarshark 1
    13 January 2017 at 1:08 pm

    We need to attract attention to our country but the right sort of attention for us, not because of more political disasters and vicious and inhumane attacks.

    Maintaining the economy through continuing tourism and intriguing the world about our country’s products, and also the lasting effects of our efforts to produce a special culture that was humane and racially biased to getting on with each other.

    This is interesting – what art did for Bilbao’s (Spain) life.

    The Bilbao effect: How 20 years of Gehry’s Guggenheim transformed the city
    12 January 2017
    Twenty years ago, Bilbao was scarred by acts of terrorism and failing industry. The city decided to gamble on Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum. Not only did it help to save Bilbao, it also showed the world the transformative effect of art. WILLIAM COOK meets its director on its anniversary.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1HL3drXNNWQVq7tpC6pMRsJ/the-bilbao-effect-how-20-years-of-gehrys-guggenheim-transformed-the-city

    • Glenn 1.1
      13 January 2017 at 4:55 pm

      Bilbao Effect is working in New Plymouth with the opening of The Len Lye Centre. Fantastic way out building and unusual art from one of the masters. I don’t like the “art” and thought our council was nuts at the time it was suggested but it has certainly done wonders for New Plymouth tourism.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.2
      13 January 2017 at 5:28 pm

      We need to attract attention to our country

      Why?

      Maintaining the economy through continuing tourism and intriguing the world about our country’s products, and also the lasting effects of our efforts to produce a special culture that was humane and racially biased to getting on with each other.

      If you want the latter then you can’t do the former (ignoring the nonsensical construct of the latter part of the sentence).

      • greywarshark 1.2.1
        13 January 2017 at 5:55 pm

        Sorry DTB but you are so out of it. I have never heard anything from you that would produce any useful answer to our employment needs. Perhaps you could open a centre for the dissemination of left wing political thoughtfor international students.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1.1
          13 January 2017 at 7:11 pm

          Ah, so, without being able to support your assertions you revert to ad hominem attacks.

          Got it.

          • greywarshark 1.2.1.1.1
            13 January 2017 at 9:23 pm

            DracoTB
            You spend all your time asserting your ideas and finding someone else’s authority to rely on.

            I actually spend time looking for something practical that can help now and prevent wipe-out in the future. And I look for others more informed than I am to see what ideas are being advanced.

            • Draco T Bastard 1.2.1.1.1.1
              14 January 2017 at 12:49 am

              You spend all your time asserting your ideas and finding someone else’s authority to rely on.

              No, I spend time looking at what’s happening in the world, thinking about it and then putting forward my ideas. I back those ideas with the research that I’ve found explaining how they interact.

              So, why do we need the world to notice us?
              Why do you think NZ can have a lot of tourism while maintaining our “special culture”?

  2. Clump_AKA Sam 2
    13 January 2017 at 1:50 pm

    Trump said words to the effect that there where 17 possible entities that hacked DNC servers and Russia was one of them. So every one does it, but it’s not election tampering, they just want to know who they will likely work with. We do it to, for Grossers bid to the UN (I believe happy to be corrected)

    So this is the pot calling the kettle black

    • aerobubble 2.1
      13 January 2017 at 2:27 pm

      Its not that Russia did or did not, its that Trump wants to get along with Russia, and Russia has a problem, well lots of them. Firstly the muslim percentage is rising… ..taking a chunk of Ukraine with the orthodoxy people… …also, the argument about NATO expansion has to seen in context that the internal borders of the USSR changed overtime during, so a rigged adherence to them two decades after they were set, when Russia was in no position to regard them properly.

      Russia aint the enemy, stupid Muslim dictators rigged aligned to fundamentalism, or worse, desperate to keep fundamentalists under control justifying their own existance and so keep fuelling a small fundamentalist fringe. aka Saudi

      • Clump_AKA Sam 2.1.1
        13 January 2017 at 2:37 pm

        What? No, I don’t even know where to start with this. Those points you raised are perfectly fine democratic behaviour ie Ukrian and Crimea voted for it, and Putin accepted that process. I see where your trying to go with a kind of imperial expansionist land grab. But the empires are being built in the digital real ie finance/fraud/and scandal which has nothing to do with ethnicity

        • greywarshark 2.1.1.1
          13 January 2017 at 5:58 pm

          Digital is world wide but we still live within geographical boundaries and nation concepts to which we adhere despite digital flashes attempting to break us into nothing units with almost subliminal messages that irritate our synapses more than they enrich our minds.

        • aerobubble 2.1.1.2
          17 January 2017 at 3:06 pm

          i disagree obviously. Isis, Syria, had all the hallmarks of the US, Russia, Turkey, EU working with events to maximize the destrucion of Islamic terror. aka fight Isis in Syria, Iraq, not more in the west. Russia is a western nation. Sure its militrary, secret services, civil elites chose Putin to lead, but is this any more oxymoronic than the US choosing Trump, or the UK choosing Thatcher all those years ago. The trends today require more than nanny liberal cum-bi-ar-isms.

          As for imperialism, the Russia interests in Crimea, and so eastern Ukraine cannot be imperial grab, since they were once two decades ago, part of the same entity. You are not suggesting if a surgeon reataches your leg that it wasn’t your leg?

  3. aerobubble 3
    13 January 2017 at 1:59 pm

    Talk about hysterical, Trump mania wall to wall, like it has anything to do with anything. Obama was checked by Congress, and Trump aint no Republician so Congress aint no friend.

    We’re part of a spying network coz its necessary for security to know whats going on. Its not like the grey power member who watches their neighbor twenty four seven and dobs their benefitary neighbor into rubbish control as they cleanup their yard to comply with the new fire law about to pass government and so have lots of rubbish bags, and no car or funds to pay for the refuse station charges. Govts have no infinite time resource like grey power members, aren’t demented in their adherance of local bylaws, and too authoritarian to have forgotten how civil society checks itself.

    Councils, like government have a duty of care to respect, not out of some do good sensiblitity, but because its the abuse of processes that threaten our way of life, wheather a grey power member, a terrorist, or whomever is dimminishing the collective peace. New fire rules will mean conscientious citizens with limited means will need extra temporary refuse options.

  4. Glenn 4
    13 January 2017 at 5:08 pm

    When the world goes to shit be it Climate Change or some other effect then I think “safe place” New Zealand situated bang in the middle of the goldilocks zone will be attracting unwanted attention from bigger States and greedy slimeballs. Not to mention masses of desperate people arriving at our borders.’ more than we could cope with.
    NZ should be planning for this possibility.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.1
      13 January 2017 at 5:30 pm

      +1

      • Rob 4.1.1
        13 January 2017 at 7:57 pm

        So whats that , bigger coastal defence, larger stock piles, greater survivalist skills, introduction of the home guard?

        Compulsary military training? What sort of planning are you wanting to undertake?

        • Clump_AKA Sam 4.1.1.1
          13 January 2017 at 8:29 pm

          I wonder what my great grandfather would say, probably you’re a dam fool

        • Glenn 4.1.1.2
          13 January 2017 at 8:30 pm

          As far as planning I have no idea, I guess that’s what the people we elect are supposed to do however on past and current performance good luck on that.

          We have too big a coast to defend and are to small to stop any bigger nation from making us a “protectorate”. We can’t “build a wall”.
          Perhaps we should declare neutrality while we are ahead. Fat lot of good that did Belgium (twice).

          Stuffed if I know what we can and could do.
          It would be nice to know that if and when the shit hits the fan our “peers” in government have a Plan A,B and C.

          • Rob 4.1.1.2.1
            13 January 2017 at 8:47 pm

            Well what about this Glenn, its risky and untried , but it might just protect our sweet assholes.

            How about we sign some agreements with some really big dudes who have some pretty serious kit. Maybe the US and Aus may be keen! I have an idea that if we do our little bit (as we don’t have too much to bring to the party , except some really solid people) they may help us out as well.

            I know, i know , its wacky and I’ll get flammed, but we could even call it ANZUS!

            • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.2.1.1
              13 January 2017 at 9:27 pm

              How about we sign some agreements with some really big dudes who have some pretty serious kit.

              How about we don’t?
              I like having our own independent foreign policy that’s not dependent upon kissing arse.

              I know, i know , its wacky and I’ll get flammed, but we could even call it ANZUS!

              And look where kissing arse got us before – into two world wars fighting on the other side of the world. Which meant that we couldn’t fight in our own backyard when we actually needed to. Never mind the pressure to invade innocent countries when one of those big boys decides that they don’t like the leader because he’s selling oil in Euros instead of US$.

              • Rob …
                13 January 2017 at 9:43 pm

                Ok , fair enough comment, so when did we need to fight in our backyard when we were unable to ?

                • Clump_AKA Sam …
                  13 January 2017 at 9:45 pm

                  Amateurs talk tactics, pros talk gear

                  • Rob …
                    13 January 2017 at 10:00 pm

                    Nice one Clump, thanks for your input on that one.

                  • exkiwiforces …
                    14 January 2017 at 12:10 am

                    Amateurs talk about kit and tactics and us pros talk logistics among other stuff.

                    • Draco T Bastard …
                      14 January 2017 at 12:43 am

                      It’s the logistics that has me saying that we need to build up our manufacturing and resource extraction capabilities.

                    • Clump_AKA Sam …
                      14 January 2017 at 1:09 am

                      Well we and I mean New Zealand will have a kind of tariff put on us sone. What I mean is it will be cost effective to target some niche manufacturing products in fisher&pickle brown group (happy to be corrected as its there medical division) provide some subsidies in this sector along with ten others in the mechanical/fabrication/engineering sector, scale them up. These skills takes time to grow. These sectors don’t need a whole lot of land so water and carbon foot print can be shrunk so we won’t have to dig giant holes.

                      Considering the average wage is about $70k, and each skilled worker generates 3 times the average ($210k) with ten workers a piece, we could generate $21 million per annum of useful work, those sectors would be marked up on the retail end, raising the national average wage, that wouldn’t immediately be redeployed to produce commercial of the shelf & military off the shelf systems.

                      In New Zealand. It’s really important to choose your design team 1st. Far to often a buyer will assume he can fit a hundred units on a section, then the design team comes in and say, “sorry, you can only fit 40 units on that section.”

                • Draco T Bastard …
                  14 January 2017 at 12:42 am

                  WWII

                  We went to Europe and fought the Nazis rather than staying here and fighting the Japanese.

          • exkiwiforces 4.1.1.2.2
            13 January 2017 at 9:13 pm

            Glenn,

            New Zealand is easy to defend, it all comes down to money. What are you prepare to sacrifice for a strong Navy, Airforce , reintroduce Nation Serivce to bring back TF back to within 80 to 100% CE and those who refuse NS goes into Civil Defence. BTW, if that means New Zealand Scottish RNZAC is reformed i’m coming home.

            Finland, Sweden and Swiss are good examples for armed neutrality not those western Europe nations.

          • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.2.3
            13 January 2017 at 9:29 pm

            We have too big a coast to defend and are to small to stop any bigger nation from making us a “protectorate”. We can’t “build a wall”.

            We’ve already got one – the Pacific Ocean.

            Actually preventing anyone from landing is actually quite easy. If we built reasonable defence capability no one would be considering trying to invade us.

            • exkiwiforces 4.1.1.2.3.1
              14 January 2017 at 12:33 am

              Just need a strong Navy and Airforce to deny , delay aand defend the Air/ Sea gap. Reintroduce National Serivce to bring back the TF units back to within 80 to 100% of CE and those who refuse NS goes into Civil Defence.

        • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.3
          13 January 2017 at 9:37 pm

          A reasonable defence force capable of actually defending us against invasion.
          The manufacturing capability to support that.
          The extraction and processing industry to support that.

          Of course, that would mean developing the economy which all political parties seem to be against these days as they focus simply on producing more of what we already do for trade thus making us weak and vulnerable.

          • Clump_AKA Sam 4.1.1.3.1
            13 January 2017 at 9:41 pm

            Well said

          • Rob 4.1.1.3.2
            13 January 2017 at 9:58 pm

            Funny, I do know a little about manufacturing.

            One thing I have learnt is that to be pretty good at it you need to specialise in the particular industry , ie chopping and changing does not create great results.

            So I can only speculate that when you wrote that you require a manufacturing capability to support defence against invasion (your words), that means you would like to start building a NZ arms and munitions industry big enough to defend NZ against any threat.

            • Clump_AKA Sam 4.1.1.3.2.1
              13 January 2017 at 10:03 pm

              Where are you going to get the certified wielders? Korea/Germany/US/UK/NZ?

              • Rob …
                13 January 2017 at 10:08 pm

                You know Clump in a very small way (if you do think welding is the only issue in NZ manufacturing) you agree with the point.

                This is one of the reasons why we have engaged in international agreements for defence.

                • Clump_AKA Sam …
                  13 January 2017 at 10:14 pm

                  Quote from Draco “these days as they focus simply on producing more of what we already do for trade thus making us weak and vulnerable”

                  Before you continue, votedefence scheduled a boost of about 20 billion over the next 20-25 years. so it’s not worth exploring further.

                  • Rob …
                    13 January 2017 at 10:34 pm

                    Not too sure how I reply to that one Clump.

                    Just a kind suggestion in regards to your response.

                    Perhaps if you re-read it tomorrow morning, “before you get engaged in the weekend”, you may critically assess it as not your best work.

                  • Glenn …
                    13 January 2017 at 10:46 pm

                    Perhaps NZ needs to learn from Switzerland. They have mountains as a barrier. As Draco said, we have the Pacific (and Tasman).
                    Switzerland has a strong armed force and militia and makes much of it’s armaments..
                    Although whether it would work with our population who knows?

                    ” Switzerland has the second largest armed force per capita after the Israeli Defence Forces.[6]
                    Switzerland has long held a posture of neutrality regarding war and conflict. To maintain a strong defense, the Swiss instead focus on maintaining a strong well-regulated militia.
                    Gun ownership is high in Switzerland, at approximately .5 guns per person. About 30% of Swiss citizens own guns. Military issued firearms must be purchased from the government after service, and then the gun is converted to a non-assault weapon. Restrictions can be placed on both the firearm and its ammunition.
                    In Switzerland, you don’t need a permit for hunting weapons, but you do for other firearms and ammunition.
                    Every time you buy a non-hunting weapon you need to get a background check (you can get up to 3 guns at one time).”

                    http://factmyth.com/factoids/switzerland-requires-citizens-to-own-guns/

            • Draco T Bastard 4.1.1.3.2.2
              14 January 2017 at 12:40 am

              One thing I have learnt is that to be pretty good at it you need to specialise in the particular industry

              For research many technologies cross many fields. The microwave came out of defence research for example.

              So I can only speculate that when you wrote that you require a manufacturing capability to support defence against invasion (your words), that means you would like to start building a NZ arms and munitions industry big enough to defend NZ against any threat.

              Yes but I think you’ll find that such industry is really quite small. I tend to think of a missile shield that can stop things getting close rather than dreadnoughts to go out and pound things so doesn’t require millions of people nor a vast array of weapons and weapons platforms. In other words, research and manufacturing within a very tight focus.

              You use welders as an example of where we don’t have enough of something but that’s not really a problem – if you have automated welders. I’m a great believer in researching and implementing more automation.

    • greywarshark 4.2
      13 January 2017 at 6:10 pm

      Glenn
      I read a short story about this scenario in the Listener in 1970s. Everyone in NZ had to live on hills so the flat could be farmed. Each country had its quotas of foreign people that had to be settled.

      Animals could not be farmed and the hero of the story got looks on the train because of him wearing an old sheepskin jacket. Even chooks were in short supply, meat of any kind was not allowed, and he had travelled a distance to a friend in the country and been given a secret, precious egg to transport home.

      • Rob 4.2.1
        13 January 2017 at 8:01 pm

        Reads like a communist wet dream, be careful, you may end up with some stuck down keys on your key board!

  5. Sacha 5
    13 January 2017 at 6:45 pm

    Russia would be spying on Fonterra here. That’s about it.

    • Rob 5.1
      13 January 2017 at 8:30 pm

      Well, obviously you are the spy expert Sacha, so you would you know!

      • Clump_AKA Sam 5.1.1
        13 January 2017 at 10:07 pm

        Because GCSB is spying on every one else

        • Rob 5.1.1.1
          13 January 2017 at 10:29 pm

          Sorry, I should rephrase my response.

          Obviously Sacha & Clump are experts in the world of spies, its also sits nicely alongside Clumps expertise in international certified welding.

  6. mosa 6
    13 January 2017 at 10:06 pm

    Bill English does refreshing honesty.. Yeah right !

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  • Nicola Willis’s Very Unserious Bungling of the Kiwirail Interislander Cancellation

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    5 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    7 days ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    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 from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • New Zealand Honours Maori King ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: James Shaw’s legacy keeps paying off

    One of the central planks of the previous Labour-Green government's emissions reduction policy was GIDI (Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry). This was basically using ETS revenue to pay polluters to clean up production, reducing emissions while protecting jobs. Corporate welfare, but it got the job done, and was often a ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Gravity

    Oh twice as much ain't twice as goodAnd can't sustain like one half couldIt's wanting moreThat's gonna send me to my kneesSong: John MayerSome ups and downs from the last week of August ‘24. The good and bad, happy and sad, funny and mad, heroes and cads. The week that ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Ditch the climate double speak and get real

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The Government announced changes to the Fast-Track Approvals Bill on Sunday, backing off from the contentious proposal to give ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to August 30

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest science of changing sea temperatures and which emissions policies actually work; on the latest from Ukraine, Gaza and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • This Govt’s infrastructure strategy depends on capital gains taxes & new road taxes

    Billions of dollars in value uplift was identified around the Transmission Gully project, but that was captured 100% by landowners and not shared to pay for the project. Now National is saying value capture should be used for similar projects. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/ Getty ImagesMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 30-August-2024

    Kia ora and welcome to the end of another week. Here’s our regular Friday roundup of things that caught our eye, in the realm of cities and transport. If you enjoy these roundups, feel free to join our growing ranks of supporters by making a recurring donation to keep the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Table Talk: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.

    “That’s the sort of constitutional reform he favours: conceived in secret; revolutionary in intent; implemented incrementally without fanfare; and under no circumstances to be placed before the electorate for democratic ratification.”TO SAY IT WAS RAINING would have understated seriously the meteorological conditions. Simply put, it was pissing down. One of ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Big Norm and Chris Hipkins

    It’s 50 years ago today that “Big Norm” Kirk died of a heart attack in Wellington’s Home of Compassion. Home of Compassion. Although he was Prime Minister for only 623 days, he has an iconic place in New Zealand history, particularly Labour history. When Labour leaders like Jacinda Ardern recite ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #35 2024

    Open access notables Arctic glacier snowline altitudes rise 150 m over the last 4 decades, Larocca et al., The Cryosphere: We mapped the snowline (SL) on a subset of 269 land-terminating glaciers above 60° N latitude in the latest available summer, clear-sky Landsat satellite image between 1984 and 2022. The mean SLA was extracted ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Unravelling the String of State: New Zealand Sovereignty and the Treaty of Waitangi

    Oh dear. Sometimes people just need to prod the sleeping dog. We currently have a parliamentary dispute over the nature of the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, as signed between the British Crown and New Zealand Maori: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/526451/sovereignty-debate-split-on-party-lines Specifically, the National Government takes the traditional view that Maori ceded sovereignty ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Rigour, PLEASE

    You may have noticed I have been taking my time getting home. You may have wondered if that might have anything to do with our brave little nation being constitutionally and morally abused by this woeful excuse for a government. It does. I have enjoyed being able to turn the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Making A Difference.

    The Jacinda and Ashley Show: Before the neoliberals could come up with a plausible reason for letting thousands of their fellow citizens perish, the Ardern-led government, backed by the almost forgotten power of an unapologetically interventionist state, was producing changes in the real world – changes that were, very obviously, saving ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago

  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says passport processing has returned to normal, and the Department of Internal Affairs [Department] is now advising customers to allow up to two weeks to receive their passport. “I am pleased that passport processing is back at target service levels and the Department ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New appointments to the FMA board

    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister has today announced three new appointments and one reappointment to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) board. Tracey Berry, Nicholas Hegan and Mariette van Ryn have been appointed for a five-year term ending in August 2029, while Chris Swasbrook, who has served as a board member ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • District Court judges appointed

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government makes it faster and easier to invest in New Zealand

    Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour is encouraged by significant improvements to overseas investment decision timeframes, and the enhanced interest from investors as the Government continues to reform overseas investment. “There were about as many foreign direct investment applications in July and August as there was across the six months ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • New Zealand to join Operation Olympic Defender

    New Zealand has accepted an invitation to join US-led multi-national space initiative Operation Olympic Defender, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today. Operation Olympic Defender is designed to coordinate the space capabilities of member nations, enhance the resilience of space-based systems, deter hostile actions in space and reduce the spread of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government commits to ‘stamping out’ foot and mouth disease

    Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says that a new economic impact analysis report reinforces this government’s commitment to ‘stamp out’ any New Zealand foot and mouth disease incursion. “The new analysis, produced by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, shows an incursion of the disease in New Zealand would have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Improving access to finance for Kiwis

    5 September 2024  The Government is progressing further reforms to financial services to make it easier for Kiwis to access finance when they need it, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says.  “Financial services are foundational for economic success and are woven throughout our lives. Without access to finance our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Prime Minister pays tribute to Kiingi Tuheitia

    As Kiingi Tuheitia Pootatau Te Wherowhero VII is laid to rest today, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has paid tribute to a leader whose commitment to Kotahitanga will have a lasting impact on our country. “Kiingi Tuheitia was a humble leader who served his people with wisdom, mana and an unwavering ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Resource Management reform to make forestry rules clearer

    Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced proposals to reform the resource management system that will provide greater certainty for the forestry sector and help them meet environmental obligations.   “The Government has committed to restoring confidence and certainty across the sector by removing unworkable regulatory burden created by the previous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • More choice and competition in building products

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Joint Statement between the Republic of Korea and New Zealand 4 September 2024, Seoul

    On the occasion of the official visit by the Right Honourable Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of New Zealand to the Republic of Korea from 4 to 5 September 2024, a summit meeting was held between His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol of the Republic of Korea (hereinafter referred to as ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Comprehensive Strategic Partnership the goal for New Zealand and Korea

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki

    A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland

    A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland

    A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure

    A record $479 million for transport investment across the top of the South Island through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will build a stronger road network that supports primary industries and grows the economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We’re committed to making sure that every dollar is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering reliable roads for Manawatū-Whanganui

    A record $1.6 billion for transport investment in Manawatū-Whanganui through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s importance as a strategic freight hub that boosts economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. ...
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    5 days ago
  • Restoring connections in Hawke’s Bay

    A record $657 million for transport investment in the Hawke’s Bay through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support recovery from cyclone damage and build greater resilience into the network to support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We are committed to making sure that ...
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