Robertson / Labour on the future of work

Written By: - Date published: 7:02 am, January 18th, 2016 - 60 comments
Categories: capitalism, employment, human rights, thinktank, workers' rights - Tags: ,

A good summary in The Herald yesterday:

Expect radical changes to economic policy, says Robertson

Grant Robertson says New Zealanders can expect a radical shift in the Labour Party’s economic policy ahead of the 2017 election as his party looks to prepare workers for huge changes in the labour market in coming decades.
…
“If we look ahead two decades, there will be enormous change,” he told the Herald from Paris. “Up to half of the jobs in the economy today won’t be there.”
…
Mr Robertson said addressing these changes would mean a radical change of direction for his party. “I do think there will be some big shifts because that reflects the magnitude of the change that is happening,” he said.

One of the ideas he has been discussing in Paris is Denmark’s “flexisecurity” model. The Danish system has three parts. It has flexible rules for hiring and firing workers, to make it easier to cut staff in downturns and easier to hire new staff when an economy rebounds. It has a generous unemployment benefit of up to 90 per cent for low-paid workers. And it has an “active labour market” policy, which means unemployed are helped into work, given guidance or re-trained.

Mr Robertson said New Zealand already had a flexible labour market, but it needed to be balanced with greater security and income support.
…
“I expect big changes in the education and training system to be one of the things that comes out of the commission,” the Labour MP said. …

Well worth reading the whole piece in The Herald. It’s a good thing that one of the major parties is thinking seriously about the future…

60 comments on “Robertson / Labour on the future of work ”

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  1. Paul 1
    18 January 2016 at 7:18 am

    ‘Expect radical changes to economic policy, says Robertson’

    I hope that this means a rejection of neo-liberalism.
    Not just more tinkering with the dangerous beliefs of Ayn Rand.

    • Draco T Bastard 1.1
      18 January 2016 at 10:51 am

      Yep, to get the changes needed we need to shift from the present failed financial system to a sovereign monetary system. Get rid of the interest bearing private money creation that has the poor paying the rich to be rich. Thing is, Labour used to understand that.

      • Colonial Viper 1.1.1
        19 January 2016 at 5:51 pm

        it’s Grant Robertson, the last thing the man supports is anything which will put at risk his GR 2020 campaign.

        Hence all the “radical” reforms he is talking about will equate to fuck all when they are finally announced. Hot air, panel talkfests, and white papers.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.1
          19 January 2016 at 8:15 pm

          Well, I’m certainly not holding my breath. Labour have been hard capitalists for the last thirty years. It’s their reforms from the 1980s that are dragging us down and I don’t really see them doing what’s needed to start rebuilding NZ.

  2. Ad 2
    18 January 2016 at 7:40 am

    Not sure what the point of what he’s saying.

    He’s been at it for over a year.

    Isn’t it time, in policy terms, to shit or get off the pot?

    • Paul 2.1
      18 January 2016 at 7:49 am

      I hope ( yet doubt) he’ll outline some policies like this.

      Here are Corbyn’s key policies.

      Renationalise railways to bring down fares. Franchises would be managed locally;
      Locally owned energy suppliers, emulating the German model;
      Integration of health and social care;
      Creation of a lifelong education service that would help retrain and reskill workers;
      Universal childcare;
      Repeal the Tory Trade Union Act;
      Fixed pay ratios for companies to stop top management earning many multiples more than lowest paid workers;
      Restriction on dividend payments for firms that don’t pay the living wage.

      http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/16/jeremy-corbyn-to-confront-big-business-over-living-wage
      http://uk.businessinsider.com/jeremy-corbyns-policies-at-the-fabian-conference-2016-2016-1

    • Pat 2.2
      18 January 2016 at 8:05 am

      “The Future of Work Commission’s findings will be published in November.”

      so a year , more or less……I had the impression from a previous article there would be some detail released early this year…apparently not.

      • Ad 2.2.1
        18 January 2016 at 8:26 am

        It’s been his baby for the last two terms; he was talking about it well before the Cunliffe leadership contest.

        It’s not a media story, just an ideological burp that he’s pleased with the flavor.

        Labour have to seriously start the year better than this.
        Key’s speech to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce in two weeks will trump the annual Speech From The Throne because it will trump a massive series of developments and projects that are underway.

    • Lanthanide 2.3
      18 January 2016 at 8:55 am

      Apparently it was “always planned to be a 2 year project”, with the “first year to talk to New Zealanders and really understand the issues”. The first year is now complete.

      He promised that Labour would be unveiling all the new policies at the end of 2016.

      I’ll be surprised if there is any such significant policy unveiled that would suggest that the whole project couldn’t have been completed in 15-18 months instead of the 24 it will have taken them.

    • Colonial Viper 2.4
      19 January 2016 at 5:52 pm

      Exactly. See my 1.1.1

    • Descendant Of Sssmith 2.5
      19 January 2016 at 6:08 pm

      I managed to survive the year of the manifesto followed by the year of the policy (2nd year got cancelled) without changing my disdain for Labour and it’s current worldview.

      No doubt I’ll survive this one.

      I can’t imagine radical will involve:

      1. The right to strike
      2. Increases in benefit rates
      3. Removal of youth rates that adults get
      4. An 8 hour working day or less
      5. General wage orders
      6. A substantial increase in the minimum wage
      7. Reversal of tax cuts and esp the increase in GST
      8. Fining Talleys as a matter of principle and giving the money to their long suffering workers
      9. Finding out who all those people were who “invested” in South Canterbury Finance in the four or so weeks before the bailout when it was well known it was a dead duck – presumably knowing that interest was going to be paid

  3. b waghorn 3
    18 January 2016 at 10:22 am

    I’m willing to wait patiently ,but it better be bloody good when it gets or else!!
    Ie make it easy for people that pick up casual work to switch on and off the benefit easily , if you treat people like crooks they’ll behave that way.
    Don’t penilize couples for living in the same house.
    Don’t forget small town nz , not many votes I know but there are actual people living out here.

  4. Draco T Bastard 4
    18 January 2016 at 10:47 am

    “Up to half of the jobs in the economy today won’t be there.”

    This is actually wrong because it continues the belief that there will still be more work to fill in the work lost. This is incorrect. What we’ll see is a decrease in available work and so, in two decades, we’ll be looking at 50% unemployment. The best thing to do with that sort of work reduction is to shift people into R&D.

    Mr Robertson said New Zealand already had a flexible labour market, but it needed to be balanced with greater security and income support.

    Actually, due to the attacks by both Labour and National on our education system over the last few decades our labour market has become less flexible. If people can’t get the education to move out of a dead end job then they’re pretty much stuck in that dead end job and when that dead end job goes away they’re simply stuck on the unemployment benefit.

    To get a flexible labour market that ensures security we need a UBI to ensure that no one lives in poverty and a free education so that, if people can’t get a job, they can walk into education.

    Technically, there shouldn’t be any unemployed. People should either be in work or in training (and that latter is either doing the learning or doing the teaching).

  5. Ovid 5
    18 January 2016 at 12:58 pm

    There’s a lot of thinking going on about this. President Obama mentioned it in his state of the union. This video is a good explainer.

    https://youtu.be/7Pq-S557XQU

    Just look at the advent of self-driving vehicles – how many people are employed in transport and logistics? If a truck can drive itself safer than a human-being, with only a need to refuel and recharge – working say 20 hours out of 24 rather than 8 – that would be a lot of jobs lost.

    • Lanthanide 5.1
      18 January 2016 at 1:33 pm

      Hence why trucking is likely to be one of the real first uses of self-driving vehicles. The industry is there and willing to pay the price for the vehicles / software and have significant gains to be made. The routes are well-known and (in the US) often driving through sparsely populated areas so road conditions should be fairly unchanging.

      It’s probably not really the lack of wages that will be the main benefit, but the increase in utilisation. If you can cut your fleet by 25-33%, and each vehicle is costing you $200,000, then that’s a very big saving.

      • Draco T Bastard 5.1.1
        18 January 2016 at 2:37 pm

        It’s probably not really the lack of wages that will be the main benefit, but the increase in utilisation. If you can cut your fleet by 25-33%, and each vehicle is costing you $200,000, then that’s a very big saving.

        Now just think if we used that logic on privately owned vehicles. It would quickly become apparent that owning a vehicle is purely uneconomic. The problem is that we only look at these things from an individual perspective which brings about uneconomic results.

        • Matthew Whitehead 5.1.1.1
          18 January 2016 at 4:02 pm

          The thing mass automation is making increasingly clear actually is that the problem is the assumption of jobs in the first place.

          We are already to the point in automation where we should have dramatically cut working hours in order to spread available work among the labour market, however, the business community has moved much of that work to marketing, and lobbied the rest of the labour market into unemployment and underemployment.

          We would do much better if we abandoned the fantasy that we can get everyone into paid work, and instead acknowledged a basic income as a right and as part of a healthy modern society, allowing people to expand into R&D, innovation, and the areas currently recognised as “unpaid work” in various forms.

      • greywarshark 5.1.2
        18 January 2016 at 4:18 pm

        Gosh I remember driving through Waouru in the North Island and down from Ashburton in the south and thinking what lovely straight roads, or just slightly curved.

        I can’t see safety from self driving trucks on most of our roads. I think there would be more cyclists drawn into the vacuum at the sides, and even if they had some cow catcher thing that meant they weren’t run over, it would be extremely frightening that there was a machine driving a machine, and being programmed by someone who had trained his mind to the extent that he thought like the machine he worked on. Would they pull off the road where provided and let cars behind pass? The professional truck drivers do this. (I don’t notice the old double toot of thanks now though as cars stream by the behemoth. Have the prissy driver controls thought up by the PTB banned such communicating toots?)

        • Draco T Bastard 5.1.2.1
          18 January 2016 at 6:05 pm

          I can’t see safety from self driving trucks on most of our roads.

          I can. Or this.

          The problem with self-drive vehicles is still the humans. What we need to do is get the human drivers off of the road. And once we do that trains and buses become obviously more economical than cars and trucks anyway.

      • Wainwright 5.1.3
        18 January 2016 at 5:13 pm

        Putting all that freight on trains would be far too logical and cost-effective.

  6. Wairua 6
    18 January 2016 at 2:39 pm

    Sexism in Silicon Valley !

    http://elephantinthevalley.com/

  7. Katipo 7
    18 January 2016 at 4:13 pm

    From Wikipedia….
    In sociology and economics, the precariat is a social class formed by people suffering from precarity, which is a condition of existence without predictability or security, affecting material or psychological welfare as well as being a member of a proletariat class of industrial workers who lack their own means of production and hence sell their labour to live. Specifically, it is applied to the condition of lack of job security, in other words intermittent employment or underemployment and the resultant precarious existence. The emergence of this class has been ascribed to the entrenchment of neoliberal capitalism…
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precariat

    Guy Standing has written on the subject and was interviewed on RNZ earlier this year…
    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/sunday/audio/20168199/guy-standing-the-precariat-charter

  8. Michael 8
    18 January 2016 at 4:40 pm

    From what I’ve seen of the “Future of Work”, the only “radical” bits are those that create even more risk and insecurity for workers. Capitalists OTOH, and the politicians who serve their interests, are well protected by any adversity in the Brave New World. Labour will have to do much better if it really wants to become a popular, and legitimate, democratic government again (I’m unsure whether it does want to attain this end; the easy way seems to be to say and do nothing, let a few fickle middle voters decide they’re sick of John Key, and decide to tick the box next to the B team at the next election).

    • Draco T Bastard 8.1
      18 January 2016 at 6:06 pm

      Capitalists OTOH, and the politicians who serve their interests, are well protected by any adversity in the Brave New World.

      QFT

    • Olwyn 8.2
      18 January 2016 at 6:58 pm

      From what I’ve seen of the “Future of Work”, the only “radical” bits are those that create even more risk and insecurity for workers.

      I see potential in the flexisecurity idea, but only if the deal includes the infrastructure to make it work as claimed. Labour cannot afford to mess their voters around anymore. What is needed is real commitment to making moves that actually make people’s lives more secure. There has to be more to it than a PR pitch and the repetition of a catchy word.

  9. tory 9
    18 January 2016 at 7:42 pm

    what i want to know where is the john key plan what has john key been doing the last 8 years he is the pm he should be leading john key has to deliver the brighter future he has promised

  10. acrophobic 10
    18 January 2016 at 8:23 pm

    It’s no wonder so few people take Labour seriously.

    First they decide they need to study the future of work, and so they give it a big name, ‘commission’, just to make it sound important.

    Then they get Robertson, who is a life-long trougher with zero practical experience of actual work, to conduct said study. Robertson wouldn’t now what work is if it jumped up and bit him on the arse.

    Is Labour really that devoid of ideas that this is the best they can do?

    • AmaKiwi 10.1
      18 January 2016 at 9:36 pm

      “Is Labour really that devoid of ideas that this is the best they can do?”

      They are devoid of serious thinkers on the ABC front benches.

      If the clowns running their caucus were running a business, the competition would swamp them. Oh, I forgot. That’s what’s been happening.

    • Incognito 10.2
      18 January 2016 at 11:26 pm

      If I can execute any little commission for you [Dickens, 1853] and since you seem to struggle with the English language please let me aid you by pointing out that the noun “commission” has multiple meanings, one of which is:

      An order to undertake a particular task or duty; (now freq.) a request, instruction, or order to produce a particular (esp. artistic, musical, or literary work) work, now esp. in return for payment. Also: the task or duty itself.

      [OED]

    • One Anonymous Bloke 10.3
      19 January 2016 at 7:31 am

      …character assassination is a common ploy of those with no other way to debate.

      Perhaps the Gosman Rule needs a name change.

    • Colonial Viper 10.4
      20 January 2016 at 5:41 pm

      Dude, it’s already all over for Labour. The thing is, it means that National is basically winning by default, not by performance.

  11. Craig H 11
    18 January 2016 at 10:08 pm

    Gee, a bit harsh on Labour there… Policy is the purview of the Labour Policy Council based on remits provided from local branches, LECs etc via Regional and National Conferences.

    After the last election, Labour effectively started again, so lots of policies were put forward at the conferences, a new Labour Policy Council was elected recently, and meanwhile the Future of Work Commission is chugging along accumulating data, ideas etc.

    Now that the Labour Policy Council has been elected, policy is being shaped, but any major policy around the Future of Work Commission will be months away from being announced, because any suggested policies have to be proposed, tweaked and agreed before they become official Labour policy.

    This confuses the MSM because they don’t get it at all, but the regulars here at the Standard are smarter than that, so I’m confident that now I’ve explained the democratic process behind Labour policy, people here will understand that it is still a work in progress, hence why nothing has been announced.

    • AmaKiwi 11.1
      19 January 2016 at 2:09 am

      @ Craig H
      Thank you for that concise explanation of why Labour is a dismal failure.

      1. NZ is an elected dictatorship. Governments ignore their election promises and do whatever they want. We all know pre-election “policies” are b.s. Since we have no control over what our government does, our elections are mere personality contests.

      2. The Labour caucus is unshakable in it opposition to democracy. The caucus ignores the general population in the service of some higher wisdom the caucus alone possess (i.e., how can they stay in control of their sinking ship?)

      3. If you want a Labour party based on policies, go into the neighborhoods and organize people to get what they want. It’s radical. It’s called democracy. Labour MPs sneeringly call it populism, implying it is a dangerous form of collective insanity.

      Having firsthand experience of Labour platform policy writing, I can assure you it is nothing more than a way to keep some members occupied between elections.

    • Colonial Viper 11.2
      19 January 2016 at 6:16 pm

      Craig H – Labour’s policy development model is a 19th century, union procedure inspired molasses.

      It is the equivalent of the British Red Coats reloading, aiming and firing in ordered ranks, even as the world has moved to an age of fast, flexible special operations.

      They are completely outclassed and out of date.

      • Craig H 11.2.1
        19 January 2016 at 11:28 pm

        On the fly policy is a terrible idea, and is one of our leading criticisms of the current government. Why would Labour operate in the same manner? If we want considered, high quality policy from volunteers, then it will take time. Given the result of the last election, everything is on the table, so there is a lot of policy to review.

        Also, the next election is still ages away, so there’s little point coming out with great stuff, only for it to forgotten or co-opted.

        The current model was put in place by the members to bring democracy back to Labour policy, and to try to avoid a repeat of Rogernomics.

        • Tautuhi 11.2.1.1
          22 January 2016 at 7:15 pm

          NZ has suffered from seat of the pants policy since the madman Muldoon in the 1970’s when he robbed the Superannuation Fund to finance his hair brained Think Big Projects.

          NZ has been an economic basket case ever since Think Big and Rogernomics, these latest clowns are heading quickly us towards a Banana Republic?

  12. millsy 12
    18 January 2016 at 11:00 pm

    You can have all the training in the world, but it is pointless if there aren’t any jobs at the end of it.

    Better off giving people a fighting chance by giving more assistance to people who want to start their own business.

    • Colonial Viper 12.1
      19 January 2016 at 6:17 pm

      You can have all the training in the world, but it is pointless if there aren’t any jobs at the end of it.

      And at its heart, Labour endorses the neoliberal model, so while it will fund training to some extent, it will not create jobs. That is left to “the market.”

  13. tory 13
    19 January 2016 at 5:59 am

    are you asleep at the wheel automation is happening know look at local mc donalds self help stations have arrived lawyer account and middle management jobs are going to be hammered as well you hate labour so much well let see the john key solution where is it they have had 8 years

  14. peter petterson 14
    19 January 2016 at 9:18 am

    Nz has a flexible job market that was never designed to help workers, just the bosses.

  15. Tautuhi 15
    22 January 2016 at 6:05 pm

    National have no solutions in creating economic growth or work opportunities, their only solutions are Asset Sales and Offshore Borrowing?

    Lucky we had the Christchurch Earthquake and Asian House Buying in Auckland?

  16. Tautuhi 16
    22 January 2016 at 6:13 pm

    One must create the environment for economic growth to enable jobs to be created, our workforce can not compete with $1.00 a day slave labour in Asian economies?

    Many with University degrees and many years work experience can only find casual jobs on minimum wages in NZ no wonder our young people migrate overseas for employment opportunities.

    We have had useless business managers in NZ and hopeless Government in NZ over the past 30-40 years who have decimated the economy and divested very profitable State Assets built up by taxpayers money over the past 175 years?

    The Neoliberal Experiment has failed horribly in NZ.

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    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

    And they taught usWhoa-oh, black woman, thou shalt not stealI said, hey, yeah, black man, thou shalt not stealWe're gonna civilise your black barbaric livesAnd we teach you how to kneelBut your history couldn't hide the genocideThe hypocrisy to us was realFor your Jesus said you're supposed to giveThe oppressed ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • How mismanagement, not wind and solar energy, causes blackouts

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections In February 2021, several severe storms swept across the United States, culminating with one that the Weather Channel unofficially named Winter Storm Uri. In Texas, Uri knocked out power to over 4.5 million homes and 10 million people. Hundreds of Texans died as a ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • The ‘Infra Boys’ Highway to Budget Hell

    Chris Bishop has enthusiastically dubbed himself and Simeon Brown “the Infra Boys”, but they need to take note of the sums around their roading dreams. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Tuesday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Media Link: “AVFA” on the politics of desperation.

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    3 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    4 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    4 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

    A delay in reappointing a top civil servant may indicate a growing nervousness within the National Party about the potential consequences of David Seymour’s Treaty Principles Bill. Dave Samuels is waiting for reappointment as the Chief Executive of Te Puni Kokiri, but POLITIK understands that what should have been a ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #36

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • Leadership for Dummies

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    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 month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    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 climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

    An Infrastructure New Zealand report says we are keeping up with infrastructure better than we might have thought from the grumbling. But the challenge of providing for the future remains.I was astonished to learn that the quantity of our infrastructure has been keeping up with economic growth. Your paper almost ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    6 days ago
  • Councils reject racism

    Last month, National passed a racist law requiring local councils to remove their Māori wards, or hold a referendum on them at the 2025 local body election. The final councils voted today, and the verdict is in: an overwhelming rejection. Only two councils out of 45 supported National's racist agenda ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Homage to Simeon Brown

    Open to all - happy weekend ahead, friends.Today I just want to be petty. It’s the way I imagine this chap is -Not only as a political persona. But his real-deal inner personality, in all its glory - appears to be pure pettiness & populist driven.Sometimes I wonder if Simeon ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • Government of deceit

    When National cut health spending and imposed a commissioner on Te Whatu Ora, they claimed that it was necessary because the organisation was bloated and inefficient, with "14 layers of management between the CEO and the patient". But it turns out they were simply lying: Health Minister Shane Reti’s ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • The professionals actually think and act like our Government has no fiscal crisis at all

    Treasury staff at work: The demand for a new 12-year Government bond was so strong, Treasury decided to double the amount of bonds it sold. Photo: Lynn GrievesonMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Friday, September ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 6-September-2024

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    7 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

    Internal versus external security. Regardless of who rules, large countries can afford to separate external and internal security functions (even if internal control functions predominate under authoritarian regimes). In fact, given the logic of power concentration and institutional centralization of … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    7 days ago
  • A Hole In The River

    There's a hole in the river where her memory liesFrom the land of the living to the air and skyShe was coming to see him, but something changed her mindDrove her down to the riverThere is no returnSongwriters: Neil Finn/Eddie RaynerThe king is dead; long live the queen!Yesterday was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • Bright Blue His Jacket Ain’t But I Love This Fellow: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power E...

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

    Open access notables Diurnal Temperature Range Trends Differ Below and Above the Melting Point, Pithan & Schatt, Geophysical Research Letters: The globally averaged diurnal temperature range (DTR) has shrunk since the mid-20th century, and climate models project further shrinking. Observations indicate a slowdown or reversal of this trend in recent decades. ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Join us for the weekly Hoon on YouTube Live at 5pm

    Photo by Jenny Bess on UnsplashCome and join us for our weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar with paying subscribers to The Kākā for an hour at 5 pm.Jump on this link on YouTube Livestream for our chat about the week’s news with special guests:5.00 pm - 5.10 pm - Bernard and ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Media Link: Discussing the NZSIS Security Threat Report.

    I was interviewed by Mike Hosking at NewstalkZB and a few other media outlets about the NZSIS Security Threat Report released recently. I have long advocated for more transparency, accountability and oversight of the NZ Intelligence Community, and although the … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • How do I make this better for people who drive Ford Rangers?

    Home, home again to a long warm embrace. Plenty of reasons to be glad to be back.But also, reasons for dejection.You, yes you, Simeon Brown, you odious little oik, you bible thumping petrol-pandering ratfucker weasel. You would be Reason Number One. Well, maybe first among equals with Seymour and Of-Seymour ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • A missed opportunity

    The government introduced a pretty big piece of constitutional legislation today: the Parliament Bill. But rather than the contentious constitutional change (four year terms) pushed by Labour, this merely consolidates the existing legislation covering Parliament - currently scattered across four different Acts - into one piece of legislation. While I ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Nicola Willis Seeks New Sidekick To Help Fix NZ’s Economy

    Synopsis:Nicola Willis is seeking a new Treasury Boss after Dr Caralee McLiesh’s tenure ends this month. She didn’t listen to McLiesh. Will she listen to the new one?And why is Atlas Network’s Taxpayers Union chiming in?Please consider subscribing or supporting my work. Thanks, Tui.About CaraleeAt the beginning of July, Newsroom ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Inflation alive and kicking in our land of the long white monopolies

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. 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 Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

    This is a re-post from The Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler I love thermodynamics. Thermodynamics is like your mom: it may not tell you what you can do, but it damn well tells you what you can’t do. I’ve written a few previous posts that include thermodynamics, like one on air capture of ...
    Skeptical Science
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Three.

    The notion of geopolitical  “periphery.” The concept of periphery used here refers strictly to what can be called the geopolitical periphery. Being on the geopolitical periphery is an analytic virtue because it makes for more visible policy reform in response … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Venus Hum

    Fill me up with soundThe world sings with me a million smiles an hourI can see me dancing on my radioI can hear you singing in the blades of grassYellow dandelions on my way to schoolBig Beautiful Sky!Song: Venus Hum.Good morning, all you lovely people, and welcome to the 700th ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • I Went to a Creed Concert

    Note: The audio attached to this Webworm compliments today’s newsletter. I collected it as I met people attending a Creed concert. Their opinions may differ to mine. Read more ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • Government migration policy backfires; thousands of unemployed nurses

    The country has imported literally thousands of nurses over the past few months yet whether they are being employed as nurses is another matter. Just what is going on with HealthNZ and it nurses is, at best, opaque, in that it will not release anything but broad general statistics and ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago
  • A Time For Unity.

    Emotional Response: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses mourners at the tangi of King Tuheitia on Turangawaewae Marae on Saturday, 31 August 2024.THE DEATH OF KING TUHEITIA could hardly have come at a worse time for Maoridom. The power of the Kingitanga to unify te iwi Māori was demonstrated powerfully at January’s ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: Failed again

    National's tax cut policies relied on stealing revenue from the ETS (previously used to fund emissions reduction) to fund tax cuts to landlords. So how's that going? Badly. Today's auction failed again, with zero units (of a possible 7.6 million) sold. Which means they have a $456 million hole in ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Two.

    A question of size. Small size generally means large vulnerability. The perception of threat is broader and often more immediate for small countries. The feeling of comparative weakness, of exposure to risk, and of potential intimidation by larger powers often … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week ago

  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

    Regulation Minister David Seymour, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, and Food Safety Minister Andrew Hoggard have welcomed interest in the agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review. The review by the Ministry for Regulation is looking at how to speed up the process to get farmers and growers access to the safe, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Bill to allow online charity lotteries passes first reading

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government is moving at pace to ensure lotteries for charitable purposes are allowed to operate online permanently. Charities fundraising online, such as those run by the Heart Foundation, Coastguard NZ, Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust and local hospices will continue to do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Tax exempt threshold changes to benefit startups

    Technology companies are among the startups which will benefit from increases to current thresholds of exempt employee share schemes, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins and Revenue Minister Simon Watts say. Tax exempt thresholds for the schemes are increasing as part of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024-25, Emergency ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 hours ago
  • Getting the healthcare you need, when you need it

    The path to faster cancer treatment, an increase in immunisation rates, shorter stays in emergency departments and quick assessment and treatments when you are sick has been laid out today. Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has revealed details of how the ambitious health targets the Government has set will be ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Targeted supports to accelerate reading

    The coalition Government is delivering targeted and structured literacy supports to accelerate learning for struggling readers. From Term 1 2025, $33 million of funding for Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support will be reprioritised to interventions which align with structured approaches to teaching. “Structured literacy will change the way children ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago
  • Survivors invited to Abuse in Care national apology

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    13 hours ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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 ...
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