Right turns a blind eye to middle NZ

Written By: - Date published: 9:30 am, February 16th, 2010 - 62 comments
Categories: class war, gst, poverty - Tags: , ,

Having decided to do a post about politics for once, National Party pollster David Farrar attacked The Standard and No Right Turn over our pieces on the distribution of income and how low and middle income people won’t be getting promised compensation for GST increases from National:

“The Standard have made the same mistake also. You see in New Zealand, we have these things called families and households. What No Right Turn sees as a mass of poor people who will be unaffected by tax cuts, are spouses, older children, many students and even parents of those who do earn more than $23,000 a year, or even $48,000 a year.

If a family has one parent earning $60,000 a year, and one on $15,000 part-time, they both benefit from a change to the 33% tax rate. Because they are a family!!”

Hear that ladies? (implicitly, you’re the parent on the low income in this Farrar’s scenario) You don’t need a tax cut to compensate for the increased GST you’re paying with your income because your husband got a tax cut! As long as you have a wealthy husand, you’re no worse off. Whoo!

Key made similar comments on Q+A but it doesn’t stack up. Key promised that no-one would be worse off because of the hike in GST to pay for income tax cuts. That means all taxpayers need to get an offsetting income tax cut, whether they have a sugar daddy or not.

Key and Farrar want us to believe there isn’t a huge lower and middle class of people scraping by who are set to be hammered by a GST increase in a time of rising unemployment and stangnating wages. The poor, they say, aren’t really poor because they’re living with well-off people. Well, I don’t know about you, but my experience tells me that high-income people tend to live together and poor people tend to live together.

Anyway, the best bit is when Farrar concludes:

“So ignore the stupid stats and graphs about individual incomes. They are relevant to academic theory, rather than the real world. Household Family income is what affects most people”

I’ve been waiting for him to say that:


(graph is blocky because the source data is by decile. assumed uniform distribution of households within deciles and gradual trail-off in top decile)

50% of households have total incomes of less than $64,000. There are 365,000 households of two or more people getting by on a total income of less than $52,000. All these people, these one to two million people, will be worse off when National raises GST but doesn’t cut the bottom tax rate.

Whether you look at individual incomes or household incomes, the story is the same. The Right is blind to Middle New Zealand and the incomes we live on. Their only concern is tax cuts for the rich few, and we will be forced to pick up the bill.

62 comments on “Right turns a blind eye to middle NZ ”

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  1. prism 1
    16 February 2010 at 10:05 am

    ” Well, I don’t know about you, but my experience tells me that high-income people tend to live together and poor people tend to live together.”

    Yes they are different strata of society. They meet in different bars at the opposite ends of town. In fact they tend not to meet much at all. Access to money or not, makes a large disconnect, can happen in families – the poor relation etc.

    The fact that to get a comfortable household income both parents have to work while they are raising children, means a lot less time spent in parenting and a lot more time in front of tv or videogames as child minder and pacifier.

    Choice and opportunity to stay home when needed, and be in the work force when one wishes would be a fine thing. Not to be forced to get ‘out’ there and then have ignorant commentators gloss over the problems of balancing the two roles parenting and paid work, by just comparing household income levels.
    They actually need to be divided into deciles with households listed by both primary income earner (male or female) with joint household earnings being a comparative listing or something.

  2. Lee Paterson 2
    16 February 2010 at 11:02 am

    The amazing thing is that Key sold himself as centrist so well when lobbying for our votes. I have a lot of (possibly misguided) young friends who honestly thought that they would be better off tax-wise under National. They expected cuts in income tax.

    Well, here is the leopard showing it’s spots. conservative government will always favour business and upper level wage earners, as it truly believes this is the best way to a strong economy. And it will always sacrifice the underclass population to do it.

    I’m a socialist, so I am personally prepared to pay MORE tax… and I’m “fortunate” enough that the current taxation plans are likely to benefit me directly.

    The downside of a more financially-polarised income base? – a bigger gap between the haves, and the have-nots…
    Result? – more crime, more discontent with government systems from the lower classes, and more actions of diminished responsibility from those ignored masses.

    The “country” may well end up on aggregate to be more wealthy… but the society will be weaker.

  3. randal 3
    16 February 2010 at 11:11 am

    right on the nail martyg. national mp’s in the house have stopped using the pie chart metaphor and now use the cake metaphor. they ate all the pies and now they want all the cake.

  4. Fisiani 4
    16 February 2010 at 11:53 am

    “Key promised that no-one would be worse off because of the hike in GST to pay for income tax cuts.”

    No he did not…… Stop inventing a myth.

    If you are in the top 10% of earners and avoiding tax you will be worse off.
    If you have taken advantage of the broken the system using Trust vehicles to write off losses and claim depreciation you will be worse off (like so many tax bludgers on the Labour side of the House).

    [lprent: Where is the link? I’m pretty sure that he didn’t add the qualifiers. I suspect that you did. ]

    • Mac1 4.1
      16 February 2010 at 1:19 pm

      Fisiani, here is a link in which Key states, “The vast bulk will be better off”, lower-income New Zealanders would be “compensated” and the killer for you “on purely GST/personal tax cuts no-one is worse off on the numbers I’ve seen most recently.” The last ‘quote’ is my paraphrase in which Key covers himself by saying that it’s not been decided yet.

      The link is Visible text

      The dialogue is about half way through. You won’t mind listening to a few minutes of John Key.

      Now, please can you supply the links I have asked for? Fair’s fair.

    • Fisiani 4.2
      16 February 2010 at 1:20 pm

      Where is the link to say that he said NO ONE will be worse off. There simply isn’t one. Just another straw man myth.

      • felix 4.2.1
        16 February 2010 at 1:48 pm

        As has already been pointed out to you,

        8 minutes 36 seconds into the mp3 Mac1 linked to:

        John Key: “I can’t say everyone’s better off but on a purely GST/personal tax cut sort of offset, on the numbers that I’ve most recently seen, no-one’s worse off and most people are better off.”

        Happy?

      • felix 4.2.2
        16 February 2010 at 2:19 pm

        ….aaaaaand he just repeated it in the house. Just now.

        • zugzug 4.2.2.1
          16 February 2010 at 2:54 pm

          lol @ Fisiani… you just got pwned…

          [lprent: That is a BAD word around here and one I associate with someone trying to start a flamewar. I’d suggest (strongly) that you desist from saying it rather urgently before I remove the source of infection. The idea is to have a debate, and not claim victories. All sides are usually wrong to some degree or another and you can’t win bugger all – apart from getting an annoyed BOFH focusing on you. ]

  5. r0b 5
    16 February 2010 at 12:00 pm

    Farrar: “You see in New Zealand, we have these things called families and households.”

    Pompous git. Thanks for handing him his ass Marty.

  6. dave 6
    16 February 2010 at 12:00 pm

    There are 365,000 households of two or more people getting by on a total income of less than $52,000. All these people, these one to two million people, will be worse off when National raises GST but doesn’t cut the bottom tax rate.

    No not all these people, because you have not taken into account that National is going to raise benefits, super and student allowances and WFF to compensate. If they do compensate they are not going to be worse off directly due to an increase in GST. What I`d like to know is how childless working low income couples will not be worse off. So far Key has not told us. Even income splitting for tax purposes will not do the trick for couples who earn similar amounts, say $35k each..

  7. TightyRighty 7
    16 February 2010 at 12:36 pm

    really? there are less than 1000 households on more than $149,000? I know at least 100 people on more than that, in wellington, so how can that be true?

    • gitmo 7.1
      16 February 2010 at 12:51 pm

      Yep seems a bit odd to me as well when there’d be almost no salaried medical specialist, or barrister and I sure there’s other professions that could be named where the indivdual salary is well over that level.

      • Pascal's bookie 7.1.1
        16 February 2010 at 12:56 pm

        less than 1000 households on more than $149,000?

        Who’s claiming that?

        • TightyRighty 7.1.1.1
          16 February 2010 at 4:58 pm

          um, the graph that this whole article appears to be based upon. or did you just decide to jump on in and try and discredit my observation. looks like another discredited hockey stick graph to me now.

          • Bright Red 7.1.1.1.1
            16 February 2010 at 5:12 pm

            Tighty can’t read a simple graph. Oh dear.

            • felix 7.1.1.1.1.1
              16 February 2010 at 5:27 pm

              Not graphs – Tighty can’t read simple numbers.

              Hey Tighty, we usually read a 3 digit number to be hundreds, tens, ones – not hundreds, ones, tens.

            • TightyRighty 7.1.1.1.1.2
              16 February 2010 at 5:35 pm

              my mistake. mis read it indeed. saw $149 where it reads $194. tax cuts help everyone, and consumption tax encourages saving and investment. the basic tenents of that remain the same. only socialists and idiots (socialists) think otherwise

              • Draco T Bastard …
                16 February 2010 at 7:21 pm

                Those basic tenets that you have so much faith in have been disproved for decades.

                http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1692027,00.html
                Virtually every economics Ph.D. who has worked in a prominent role in the Bush Administration acknowledges that the tax cuts enacted during the past six years have not paid for themselves–and were never intended to. Harvard professor Greg Mankiw, chairman of Bush’s Council of Economic Advisers from 2003 to 2005, even devotes a section of his best-selling economics textbook to debunking the claim that tax cuts increase revenues.

                The Laffer curve is, quite simply, a joke.

                What you’ve said is just more of a the usual delusional rightward spin that we’ve come to expect from you. The only people getting a tax cut are people with incomes over $200k – everyone else will have their taxes increased to pay for them.

    • Pat 7.2
      16 February 2010 at 12:55 pm

      It can’t be true. In my small advisory business I could compile a list of over 100 clients with household incomes over $149K.

    • kaplan 7.3
      16 February 2010 at 12:56 pm

      Which figures are you looking at?
      The graph shows around 8000 households at $154,000 and many more above that.
      The source data shows a total of 161,000 at $150,000 +
      Comprehend graphs and stats much???

    • b 7.4
      16 February 2010 at 5:10 pm

      I don’t know a single household on more than 80 000 where i live. Maybe you move in wealthy circles tightyrighty lol.

  8. indiana 8
    16 February 2010 at 12:48 pm

    Just out of interest, if a group of 3 people flat together and for argument’s sake all are on $40k per annum, are they considered to be one of the 10,000 or so households earning $120k per annum?

    • Gosman 8.1
      16 February 2010 at 1:00 pm

      I would think so. Why do you ask?

      I presume these people are flatting together to get some benefit from the arrangement such as lower costs versus if they flatted on their own.

      • indiana 8.1.1
        16 February 2010 at 1:19 pm

        So would they be worse off or better off with a rise in GST and lower taxes? I guess I have the view that the people in an household are codependent on each other. In a flatting situation all their incomes are not pooled together and then discretionary spending money is handed out

        • felix 8.1.1.1
          16 February 2010 at 1:38 pm

          Outgoings are pooled though so flatmates are dependent on each other in as far as each is helping each other to lower their cost of living.

  9. Olwyn 9
    16 February 2010 at 1:26 pm

    Thanks Marty G for bringing facts to bear on things: much public dialogue suggests that anyone who counts for anything is well off, and if you claim otherwise we will relegate you to the underclass. The supermarket shelves late at night tell a different story, being for the most part depleted of budget bread, pasta and cans of tomatoes. It is so good to see the actual figures.

    • TightyRighty 9.1
      16 February 2010 at 5:00 pm

      but they are not actual figures. there has been some manipulation in them if you look at it closely? or can you only count pasta and cans of tomatoes?

      • Bright Red 9.1.1
        16 February 2010 at 5:07 pm

        “less than 1000 households on more than $149,000?”

        that’s not what the graph says you retard.

        Bother to check the source: the top 10% of households (that’s 160,000 households) have incomes over $150,000. Now, we can’t know how that is distributed but it’s fair to assume it’s a gradual decline, which is what marty explains he did in the post.

        The post clear has nearly 10,000 households at $150,000 and fewer each income block above that.

        • TightyRighty 9.1.1.1
          16 February 2010 at 5:45 pm

          fuck off BR. we know your bludging socialist agenda. i did mis read the graph. it certainly looks like $149 at the far right of the x axis, but on closer inspection i can see i was wrong. i can still think of over 50 individuals on over $200k, and i’m sure there are plenty more i don’t know about. still fairly certain the data is wrong, even taking into account my misinterpretation.

          of course these wealthy people are all scabs, how dare they take risks, educate themselves and become wealthy while other layabouts aren’t rich. goddam i hate those rich pricks, but it’s not envy, it’s because it’s against my beliefs for some people to have more than others, and me. even if those others won’t help themselves. ah socialism, never worked, never will.

          • felix 9.1.1.1.1
            16 February 2010 at 5:54 pm

            It doesn’t really matter what any of the stats say though does it?

            You hang out with rich people so everyone must be rich and that’s all there is to it.

            And with no way to defend your absurd position in the face of all available evidence (yep all, you haven’t provided any) you call people s0cialists instead.

            • TightyRighty 9.1.1.1.1.1
              16 February 2010 at 6:21 pm

              i don’t necessarily hang out with rich people. but i do know some. what evidence? the bull shit trotted out here as reasons the electorate rejected your views? hate to say it, but i’m not alone in thinking that you’ve got it all wrong, and i’m also not alone thinking we are heading in the right direction.

              • Marty G …
                16 February 2010 at 6:23 pm

                mate, there’s a corner over there if you want to have a cry about it.

                Take a book about learning to read graphs over there with you.

          • Marty G 9.1.1.1.2
            16 February 2010 at 6:14 pm

            Jesus Tighty. You wouldn’t pass the national standard would you? You can’t even read a bloody graph. It clearly shows 8,000 households are $150,000 and many thousands above. As BR notes, I assuemd a gradual rate of decline because the upper limite for the upper decile isn’t given.

            Your rant at BR is priceless but maybe you wouldn’t be so upset if you hadn’t made such a complete cowpat of yourself in the first place.

            With your maths skills, you would fit right in with Bill English.

            “it certainly looks like $149 at the far right of the x axis”

            no it doesn’t, it says $194,000. And that’s not the upper limit, obviously. The graph just stops at $200,000 because the numbers by that stage are so small and there’s no upper limit

            • TightyRighty 9.1.1.1.2.1
              16 February 2010 at 6:28 pm

              i admitted i made a mistake earlier you unctuous twat. of course lets pillory those who make mistakes, like john key. or how about taito phillip field, ruth dyson etc etc? the worst thing about the left, they never see when they make mistakes, and then wonder why everyone calls them unctuous twats and corrput.

              • Marty G …
                16 February 2010 at 6:41 pm

                It’s just funny you know. I come on and there’s you making a half dozen highly sure of yourself comments alleging I’ve doctored the figures and it turns out you just can’t read a graph. Can’t blame a guy for enjoying himself.

                And watch the abusive terms to authors.

  10. prosaic 10
    16 February 2010 at 5:17 pm

    I haven’t had time to read all the comments here but being glib by callingthe husbands of low-income women who choose to stay at home with their pre-school kids rather than earn a full-time salary “sugar daddies” is not the way to establish this particular point against Farrar, Key and the like. Your argument would have been strong without that particular comment. Maybe there are more of these “ladies” with “sugar Daddies” amongst your readership than you imagine. Don’t insult them.

  11. b 11
    16 February 2010 at 5:38 pm

    Jk did say he will raise benefits & wff so if he compensates adequate amount many households will be ok. But low income people without children and students who don’t qualify for student allowance who support themselves wth part time work are screwed.

    • blinded by the right 11.1
      16 February 2010 at 5:40 pm

      so not much changes then. They’ll be used to the feeling.

    • TightyRighty 11.2
      16 February 2010 at 5:48 pm

      which is why WFF is discriminatory as i have argued before. that money should be used to provide tax cuts to low earners, rather than reaping it then handing it back (minus the cut that bureaucracy takes off course)

      • b 11.2.1
        16 February 2010 at 7:38 pm

        I don’t agree – before wff far more children lived in poverty – it should stay. But key shouldnt pretend everyone will be compensated when its not true.

  12. Descendant Of Smith 12
    16 February 2010 at 7:14 pm

    Of course it’s discriminatory. It’s meant to be. Ummm if you don’t have kids you don’t get it.

    Discriminatory is a red herring.

    What you are really saying is that help shouldn’t be provided to people with kids cause those without kids can’t get it.

    Which then leads to you shouldn’t have kids without being able to afford it.

    I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again if you don’t have kids and replenish the population you’re a selfish self serving snot. I don’t see why my kids should work for you, serve you in the shops, wipe your bum when you get old. You’ve chosen not to contribute to the population and begrudge any support that those who have get. You portray having children as a selfish act when the reverse is true.

    In the real world most people have children when they are young, before they are economically established. Given the real reduction in wages in NZ through the 80’s they need support then and I for one am happy for them to have it.

  13. prism 13
    16 February 2010 at 9:37 pm

    Don’t think DoS is being sarcastic. He’s being passionate about the importance of having children to individuals and the nation. He is presenting the hard facts that parents, particularly young ones face.

    There seems to be a regular anti WFF line that comes through, partly on the basis that it doesn’t target only the very poor. Those who have studied social policy dynamics know that society is more accepting of welfare being available to those who most need it, if there is assistance available to the better off when there are stresses on their purse, and providing children’s needs is indeed costly.

    Also there is the administrative point. It is not as expensive to administer a universal scheme with perhaps income steps, than if people have to apply and be screened with interviews, paperwork etc to see if they are eligible.

    Personally I think it is nauseating to read some of the resentful comments about parents and children and resenting assistance to their parents in any way. It is like hating life, like being so sophisticated that such people have forgotten what life and being a human involves.

    • Quoth the Raven 13.1
      16 February 2010 at 10:03 pm

      Do you really think the world’s population of near 7 billion needs everyone to contribute?

      Is it really your opinion that people who don’t have children are selfish? Do you think gay couples who don’t have children are just ‘selfish snots’? You should know your gracious host on this site is childfree.

      Personally I think it is nauseating to read vitriolic comments propounding heteronormative and conservative family-centric values about the importance of being a breeder.

      I myself plan to remain childfree like the selfish libertine I am.

  14. pollywog 14
    16 February 2010 at 11:26 pm

    “Do you really think the world’s population of near 7 billion needs everyone to contribute?”

    you might find this interesting…or not

    “Too many of whom, and too much of what?”
    What the new population hysteria tells us about the global economic and environmental crisis, and its causes.
    http://dustormagic.net/NOII/TooManyOfWhomJan10.html

    • Quoth the Raven 14.1
      16 February 2010 at 11:47 pm

      No, I don’t find that confused little piece interesting. My comment wasn’t on overpopulation it was on the perceived necessity for reproduction in Smith’s comment and the worldview it presents.

      As to that piece I don’t support any coercive measures to stem population growth and I support completely open borders. In fact I don’t support the stupid notion of borders or nation-states in the first place.

      If they can find a way of doing capitalism in which “we’ really does mean “all of us’ and “equality’ means just that, we will welcome it with open arms: they will have achieved socialism.

      They have it’s called the free market. You might find that interesting 🙂

      • pollywog 14.1.1
        17 February 2010 at 10:43 am

        Wigga please… ah ain’t readin all that shit 🙂

        I’s all reality and no theory and what i know is aint nuthin free bout the market. You gots to pay if you wants to play. It’s like, Polynesians aren’t socialist, capitalist, left or right. We got our own systems and ways of dealing with shit…ya feel me ? and it carries over from generation to generation! It’s that whole ‘take the boy outta the jungle but you can’t take the jungle outta the boy’ steez.

        So y’all can turn a blind eye to whats goin on in the street and in the hood but all them jobless younguns out there grindin and hustlin on the real aint nuthin to be fucked with and sooner or later they’s gonna rise up and there wont be enough jails to hold em. Sheeeit, we cain’t all be playin sports and rap singin. Sure a playa needs sum book learnin but that shit costs and we is some broke ass n*ggas.

        Here, let me break it down for ya. Idle hand make the devil’s work and all that handiwork ain’t invisible if you know whats to look for. Jesus aint gonna save us…..nahm sayin ?

        Apologies for the vernacular i’m just catching up on ‘The Wire’ but the sentiment stands

  15. prism 15
    17 February 2010 at 10:40 am

    QtR
    So do nothing, let it all happen, let humanity be swept away by the power of the free market focussed on its goals of piling up material things which can include bodies of people and animals and their homes when there are extreme breakdowns in society.

    • Quoth the Raven 15.1
      17 February 2010 at 12:06 pm

      prism – The free market doesn’t have goals. People have goals. We are the market you me and the market is only an aspect of society not society itself.

      The market makes a perfect totalizing enemy: it is impersonal, has no particular location and legitimates itself through a myriad of democratic practices of buying and selling. . . . The problem is that . . . the market is a democratic institution aggregating the decisions of whomever participates in it. When all is said and done, complaints about the market are nothing but complaints about the people themselves.

      Paul Piccone

      If you want to look at consumerism and mass production you should examine the state’s role in their development. Try this for starters – Mass-Production industry as a Statist construct

  16. Descendant Of Smith 16
    17 February 2010 at 6:55 pm

    Quoth The Raven – keep my comments in context. I am responding to ongoing comments that assistance to families with children is unfair on those who don’t have children and the other conclusions that lead from this about only having children when and if you can afford them.

    It would be great if employers paid everyone enough – or the cost of goods were low enough that people could afford to raise a family without state assistance but sadly this is not the case.

    If the gay couple ( who could have children if they so wished – their are ways and means ) were being as critical of help being provided to these families on the basis of I don’t have kids I can’t get it then indeed I would consider them selfish snots.

    You raised the issue of the current world’s population when the context is in relation to NZ’s aging population and the children in this country. These children are our future citizens / workers / employees / employers / artists / singers and so on. Of course their are always those who rise above poverty and abuse and hardship to thrive / survive but many do not. Trying to endure they are at least well fed and provided for and educated and feel part of everyday society – the world they live in – at last lifts the prospect of them becoming good citizens later on.

    The alternative is eventually throwing them in jail.

    In the absence of a clear policy to have immigration as a means of looking after our aged population then clearly replenishing our population is the other viable option. I’m excluding such aspects as euthanasia / exporting them ( you know like Japan does with old cars ) / accepting a lower standard of living and so on. I also happen to favour looking after our own children first.

    The language used reflects quite clearly how I feel about the language used against people with families and people on benefit. Too often these labels go unchallenged e.g. bludger so throwing some labels back now and then I don’t see as a problem.

    Lastly in dealing with reality people do have children, they do have them young and it takes a society to raise them not just the parents. We either value them or we don’t. They have little choice in the matter.

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    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
    12 hours ago

  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #16 2024
    Open access notables Glacial isostatic adjustment reduces past and future Arctic subsea permafrost, Creel et al., Nature Communications: Sea-level rise submerges terrestrial permafrost in the Arctic, turning it into subsea permafrost. Subsea permafrost underlies ~ 1.8 million km2 of Arctic continental shelf, with thicknesses in places exceeding 700 m. Sea-level variations over glacial-interglacial cycles control ...
    Skeptical Science
    12 hours ago

  • Where on a Computer is the Operating System Generally Stored? Delving into the Digital Home of your ...
    The operating system (OS) is the heart and soul of a computer, orchestrating every action and interaction between hardware and software. But have you ever wondered where on a computer is the operating system generally stored? The answer lies in the intricate dance between hardware and software components, particularly within ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    12 hours ago

  • How Many Watts Does a Laptop Use? Understanding Power Consumption and Efficiency
    Laptops have become essential tools for work, entertainment, and communication, offering portability and functionality. However, with rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns, understanding a laptop’s power consumption is more important than ever. So, how many watts does a laptop use? The answer, unfortunately, isn’t straightforward. It depends on several ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    12 hours ago

  • How to Screen Record on a Dell Laptop A Guide to Capturing Your Screen with Ease
    Screen recording has become an essential tool for various purposes, such as creating tutorials, capturing gameplay footage, recording online meetings, or sharing information with others. Fortunately, Dell laptops offer several built-in and external options for screen recording, catering to different needs and preferences. This guide will explore various methods on ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    12 hours ago

  • How Much Does it Cost to Fix a Laptop Screen? Navigating Repair Options and Costs
    A cracked or damaged laptop screen can be a frustrating experience, impacting productivity and enjoyment. Fortunately, laptop screen repair is a common service offered by various repair shops and technicians. However, the cost of fixing a laptop screen can vary significantly depending on several factors. This article delves into the ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    12 hours ago

  • How Long Do Gaming Laptops Last? Demystifying Lifespan and Maximizing Longevity
    Gaming laptops represent a significant investment for passionate gamers, offering portability and powerful performance for immersive gaming experiences. However, a common concern among potential buyers is their lifespan. Unlike desktop PCs, which allow for easier component upgrades, gaming laptops have inherent limitations due to their compact and integrated design. This ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    12 hours ago

  • Climate Change: Turning the tide
    The annual inventory report of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions has been released, showing that gross emissions have dropped for the third year in a row, to 78.4 million tons: All-told gross emissions have decreased by over 6 million tons since the Zero Carbon Act was passed in 2019. ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    13 hours ago

  • How to Unlock Your Computer A Comprehensive Guide to Regaining Access
    Experiencing a locked computer can be frustrating, especially when you need access to your files and applications urgently. The methods to unlock your computer will vary depending on the specific situation and the type of lock you encounter. This guide will explore various scenarios and provide step-by-step instructions on how ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    14 hours ago

  • Faxing from Your Computer A Modern Guide to Sending Documents Digitally
    While the world has largely transitioned to digital communication, faxing still holds relevance in certain industries and situations. Fortunately, gone are the days of bulky fax machines and dedicated phone lines. Today, you can easily send and receive faxes directly from your computer, offering a convenient and efficient way to ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    15 hours ago

  • Protecting Your Home Computer A Guide to Cyber Awareness
    In our increasingly digital world, home computers have become essential tools for work, communication, entertainment, and more. However, this increased reliance on technology also exposes us to various cyber threats. Understanding these threats and taking proactive steps to protect your home computer is crucial for safeguarding your personal information, finances, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    15 hours ago

  • Server-Based Computing Powering the Modern Digital Landscape
    In the ever-evolving world of technology, server-based computing has emerged as a cornerstone of modern digital infrastructure. This article delves into the concept of server-based computing, exploring its various forms, benefits, challenges, and its impact on the way we work and interact with technology. Understanding Server-Based Computing: At its core, ...
    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    15 hours ago

  • Vroom vroom go the big red trucks
    The absolute brass neck of this guy.We want more medical doctors, not more spin doctors, Luxon was saying a couple of weeks ago, and now we’re told the guy has seven salaried adults on TikTok duty. Sorry, doing social media. The absolute brass neck of it. The irony that the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    15 hours ago

  • Jones finds $410,000 to help the government muscle in on a spat project
    Buzz from the Beehive Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones relishes spatting and eagerly takes issue with environmentalists who criticise his enthusiasm for resource development. He relishes helping the fishing industry too. And so today, while the media are making much of the latest culling in the public service to ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    16 hours ago

  • Again, hate crimes are not necessarily terrorism.
    Having written, taught and worked for the US government on issues involving unconventional warfare and terrorism for 30-odd years, two things irritate me the most when the subject is discussed in public. The first is the Johnny-come-lately academics-turned-media commentators who … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    19 hours 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
    19 hours 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
    19 hours 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
    20 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    23 hours ago

  • Meeting the Master Baiters
    Hi,A friend had their 40th over the weekend and decided to theme it after Curb Your Enthusiasm fashion icon Susie Greene. Captured in my tiny kitchen before I left the house, I ending up evoking a mix of old lesbian and Hillary Clinton — both unintentional.Me vs Hillary ClintonIf you’re ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago

  • How extreme was the Earth's temperature in 2023
    This is a re-post from Andrew Dessler at the Climate Brink blog In 2023, the Earth reached temperature levels unprecedented in modern times. Given that, it’s reasonable to ask: What’s going on? There’s been lots of discussions by scientists about whether this is just the normal progression of global warming or if something ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 day ago

  • Backbone, revisited
    The schools are on holiday and the sun is shining in the seaside village and all day long I have been seeing bunches of bikes; Mums, Dads, teens and toddlers chattering, laughing, happy, having a bloody great time together. Cheers, AT, for the bits of lane you’ve added lately around the ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago

  • Ministers are not above the law
    Today in our National-led authoritarian nightmare: Shane Jones thinks Ministers should be above the law: New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is accusing the Waitangi Tribunal of over-stepping its mandate by subpoenaing a minister for its urgent hearing on the Oranga Tamariki claim. The tribunal is looking into the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago

  • What’s the outfit you can hear going down the gurgler? Probably it’s David Parker’s Oceans Sec...
    Buzz from the Beehive Point  of Order first heard of the Oceans Secretariat in June 2021, when David Parker (remember him?) announced a multi-agency approach to protecting New Zealand’s marine ecosystems and fisheries. Parker (holding the Environment, and Oceans and Fisheries portfolios) broke the news at the annual Forest & ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    2 days ago

  • Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Bryce Edwards writes  – Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • Matt Doocey doubles down on trans “healthcare”
    Citizen Science writes –  Last week saw two significant developments in the debate over the treatment of trans-identifying children and young people – the release in Britain of the final report of Dr Hilary Cass’s review into gender healthcare, and here in New Zealand, the news that the ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    2 days ago

  • A TikTok Prime Minister.
    One night while sleeping in my bed I had a beautiful dreamThat all the people of the world got together on the same wavelengthAnd began helping one anotherNow in this dream, universal love was the theme of the dayPeace and understanding and it happened this wayAfter such an eventful day ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago

  • Texas Lessons
    This is a guest post by Oscar Simms who is a housing activist, volunteer for the Coalition for More Homes, and was the Labour Party candidate for Auckland Central at the last election. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links at 6:06 am
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours as of 6:06 am on Wednesday, April 17 are:Must read: Secrecy shrouds which projects might be fast-tracked RNZ Farah HancockScoop: Revealed: Luxon has seven staffers working on social media content - partly paid for by taxpayer Newshub ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago

  • Fighting poverty on the holiday highway
    Turning what Labour called the “holiday highway” into a four-lane expressway from Auckland to Whangarei could bring at least an economic benefit of nearly two billion a year for Northland each year. And it could help bring an end to poverty in one of New Zealand’s most deprived regions. The ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago

  • Bernard's six-stack of substacks at 6:26 pm
    Tonight’s six-stack includes: launching his substack with a bunch of his previous documentaries, including this 1992 interview with Dame Whina Cooper. and here crew give climate activists plenty to do, including this call to submit against the Fast Track Approvals bill. writes brilliantly here on his substack ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • At a glance – Is the science settled?
    On February 14, 2023 we announced our Rebuttal Update Project. This included an ask for feedback about the added "At a glance" section in the updated basic rebuttal versions. This weekly blog post series highlights this new section of one of the updated basic rebuttal versions and serves as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

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

  • What’s a life worth now?
    You're in the mall when you hear it: some kind of popping sound in the distance, kids with fireworks, maybe. But then a moment of eerie stillness is followed by more of the fireworks sound and there’s also screaming and shrieking and now here come people running for their lives.Does ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago

  • Howling at the Moon
    Karl du Fresne writes –  There’s a crisis in the news media and the media are blaming it on everyone except themselves. Culpability is being deflected elsewhere – mainly to the hapless Minister of Communications, Melissa Lee, and the big social media platforms that are accused of hoovering ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Newshub is Dead.
    I don’t normally send out two newsletters in a day but I figured I’d say something about… the news. If two newsletters is a bit much then maybe just skip one, I don’t want to overload people. Alternatively if you’d be interested in sometimes receiving multiple, smaller updates from me, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • Seymour is chuffed about cutting early-learning red tape – but we hear, too, that Jones has loose...
    Buzz from the Beehive David Seymour and Winston Peters today signalled that at least two ministers of the Crown might be in Wellington today. Seymour (as Associate Minister of Education) announced the removal of more red tape, this time to make it easier for new early learning services to be ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago

  • Bryce Edwards: Will politicians let democracy die in the darkness?
    Politicians across the political spectrum are implicated in the New Zealand media’s failing health. Either through neglect or incompetent interventions, successive governments have failed to regulate, foster, and allow a healthy Fourth Estate that can adequately hold politicians and the powerful to account. Our political system is suffering from the ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago

  • Was Hawkesby entirely wrong?
    David Farrar  writes –  The Broadcasting Standards Authority ruled: Comments by radio host Kate Hawkesby suggesting Māori and Pacific patients were being prioritised for surgery due to their ethnicity were misleading and discriminatory, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has found. It is a fact such patients are prioritised. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • PRC shadow looms as the Solomons head for election
    PRC and its proxies in Solomons have been preparing for these elections for a long time. A lot of money, effort and intelligence have gone into ensuring an outcome that won’t compromise Beijing’s plans. Cleo Paskall writes – On April 17th the Solomon Islands, a country of ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago

  • Climate Change: Criminal ecocide
    We are in the middle of a climate crisis. Last year was (again) the hottest year on record. NOAA has just announced another global coral bleaching event. Floods are threatening UK food security. So naturally, Shane Jones wants to make it easier to mine coal: Resources Minister Shane Jones ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago

  • Is saving one minute of a politician's time worth nearly $1 billion?
    Is speeding up the trip to and from Wellington airport by 12 minutes worth spending up more than $10 billion? Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me in the last day to 8:26 am today are:The Lead: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago

  • Long Tunnel or Long Con?
    Yesterday it was revealed that Transport Minister had asked Waka Kotahi to look at the options for a long tunnel through Wellington. State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago

  • Smoke And Mirrors.
    You're a fraud, and you know itBut it's too good to throw it all awayAnyone would do the sameYou've got 'em goingAnd you're careful not to show itSometimes you even fool yourself a bitIt's like magicBut it's always been a smoke and mirrors gameAnyone would do the sameForty six billion ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago

  • What is Mexico doing about climate change?
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The June general election in Mexico could mark a turning point in ensuring that the country’s climate policies better reflect the desire of its citizens to address the climate crisis, with both leading presidential candidates expressing support for renewable energy. Mexico is the ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago

  • State of humanity, 2024
    2024, it feels, keeps presenting us with ever more challenges, ever more dismay.Do you give up yet? It seems to ask.No? How about this? Or this?How about this?When I say 2024 I really mean the state of humanity in 2024.Saturday night, we watched Civil War because that is one terrifying cliff we've ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago

  • Govt’s Wellington tunnel vision aims to ease the way to the airport (but zealous promoters of cycl...
    Buzz from the Beehive A pet project and governmental tunnel vision jump out from the latest batch of ministerial announcements. The government is keen to assure us of its concern for the wellbeing of our pets. It will be introducing pet bonds in a change to the Residential Tenancies Act ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago

  • The case for cultural connectedness
    A recent report generated from a Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) survey of 1,224 rangatahi Māori aged 11-12 found: Cultural connectedness was associated with fewer depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms and better quality of life. That sounds cut and dry. But further into the report the following appears: Cultural connectedness is ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Useful context on public sector job cuts
    David Farrar writes –    The Herald reports: From the gory details of job-cuts news, you’d think the public service was being eviscerated.   While the media’s view of the cuts is incomplete, it’s also true that departments have been leaking the particulars faster than a Wellington ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago

  • Gordon Campbell On When Racism Comes Disguised As Anti-racism
    Remember the good old days, back when New Zealand had a PM who could think and speak calmly and intelligently in whole sentences without blustering? Even while Iran’s drones and missiles were still being launched, Helen Clark was live on TVNZ expertly summing up the latest crisis in the Middle ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    4 days ago

  • Govt ignored economic analysis of smokefree reversal
    Costello did not pass on analysis of the benefits of the smokefree reforms to Cabinet, emphasising instead the extra tax revenues of repealing them. Photo: Hagen Hopkins, Getty Images TL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 7:26 am today are:The Lead: Casey Costello never passed on ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago

  • True Blue.
    True loveYou're the one I'm dreaming ofYour heart fits me like a gloveAnd I'm gonna be true blueBaby, I love youI’ve written about the job cuts in our news media last week. The impact on individuals, and the loss to Aotearoa of voices covering our news from different angles.That by ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago

  • Who is running New Zealand’s foreign policy?
    While commentators, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, are noting a subtle shift in New Zealand’s foreign policy, which now places more emphasis on the United States, many have missed a key element of the shift. What National said before the election is not what the government is doing now. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago

  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15
    A listing of 31 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, April 7, 2024 thru Sat, April 13, 2024. Story of the week Our story of the week is about adults in the room setting terms and conditions of ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago

  • Feline Friends and Fragile Fauna The Complexities of Cats in New Zealand’s Conservation Efforts

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

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

  • Or is that just they want us to think?
    Nice guy, that Peter Williams. Amiable, a calm air of no-nonsense capability, a winning smile. Everything you look for in a TV presenter and newsreader.I used to see him sometimes when I went to TVNZ to be a talking head or a panellist and we would yarn. Nice guy, that ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago

  • Fact Brief – Did global warming stop in 1998?
    Skeptical Science is partnering with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. This fact brief was written by Sue Bin Park in collaboration with members from our Skeptical Science team. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Did global warming stop in ...
    Skeptical Science
    5 days ago

  • Arguing over a moot point.
    I have been following recent debates in the corporate and social media about whether it is a good idea for NZ to join what is known as “AUKUS Pillar Two.” AUKUS is the Australian-UK-US nuclear submarine building agreement in which … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago

  • No Longer Trusted: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    Turning Point: “What has turned me away from the mainstream news media is the very strong message that its been sending out for the last few years.” “And what message might that be?” “That the people who own it, the people who run it, and the people who provide its content, really don’t ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Mortgage rates at 10% anyone?
    No – nothing about that in PM Luxon’s nine-point plan to improve the lives of New Zealanders. But beyond our shores Jamie Dimon, the long-serving head of global bank J.P. Morgan Chase, reckons that the chances of a goldilocks soft landing for the economy are “a lot lower” than the ...
    Point of OrderBy xtrdnry
    6 days ago

  • Sad tales from the left
    Michael Bassett writes –  Have you noticed the odd way in which the media are handling the government’s crackdown on surplus employees in the Public Service? Very few reporters mention the crazy way in which State Service numbers rocketed ahead by more than 16,000 during Labour’s six years, ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • In Whose Best Interests?
    On The Spot: The question Q+A host, Jack Tame, put to the Workplace & Safety Minister, Act’s Brooke van Velden, was disarmingly simple: “Are income tax cuts right now in the best interests of lowering inflation?”JACK TAME has tested another MP on his Sunday morning current affairs show, Q+A. Minister for Workplace ...
    Bowalley Road
    6 days ago

  • Don’t Question, Don’t Complain.
    It has to start somewhereIt has to start sometimeWhat better place than here?What better time than now?So it turns out that I owe you all an apology.It seems that all of the terrible things this government is doing, impacting the lives of many, aren’t necessarily ‘bad’ per se. Those things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Auckland faces 25% water inflation shock
    Three Waters became a focus of anti-Government protests under Labour, but its dumping by the new Government hasn’t solved councils’ funding problems and will eventually hit the back pockets of everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The six news items that stood out to me at 8:06 am today are:The Government ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago

  • Small accomplishments and large ironies
    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on the past week’s editions.Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume VII
    In order to catch up to the actual progress of the D&D campaign, I present you with another couple of sessions. These were actually held back to back, on a Monday and Tuesday evening. Session XV Alas, Goatslayer had another lycanthropic transformation… though this time, he ran off into the ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    6 days ago

  • Accelerating the Growth Rate?
    There is a constant theme from the economic commentariat that New Zealand needs to lift its economic growth rate, coupled with policies which they are certain will attain that objective. Their prescriptions are usually characterised by two features. First, they tend to be in their advocate’s self-interest. Second, they are ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    7 days 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
    9 hours ago

  • Government commits $20m to Westport flood protection
    The Government has announced that $20 million in funding will be made available to Westport to fund much needed flood protection around the town. This measure will significantly improve the resilience of the community, says Local Government Minister Simeon Brown. “The Westport community has already been allocated almost $3 million ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    15 hours ago

  • Taupō takes pole position
    The Government is proud to support the first ever Repco Supercars Championship event in Taupō as up to 70,000 motorsport fans attend the Taupō International Motorsport Park this weekend, says Economic Development Minister Melissa Lee. “Anticipation for the ITM Taupō Super400 is huge, with tickets and accommodation selling out weeks ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    16 hours ago

  • Cost of living support for low-income homeowners
    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced an increase to the Rates Rebate Scheme, putting money back into the pockets of low-income homeowners.  “The coalition Government is committed to bringing down the cost of living for New Zealanders. That includes targeted support for those Kiwis who are doing things tough, such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    18 hours 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
    18 hours 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
    21 hours 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
    22 hours 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
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
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