Saudi Arabia Admits Killing Khashoggi

Written By: - Date published: 2:58 pm, October 20th, 2018 - 66 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, Donald Trump, International, journalism, Media, us politics - Tags: , ,

Saudi Arabian authorities have cleared up the mystery around the disappearance of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

It turns out it was suicide by bone saw.

According to spokespeople for Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Khashoggi, a 59 year old bespectacled academic, started a fight with 15 armed security people inside the consulate. During the fight, it appears his arms and legs fell off in the manner of Monty Python’s black knight.

Still, the good news is that the Saudi version of events has been assessed by the only expert that matters and found to be “credible”.

The Saudi’s have said that they have disciplined the team involved and some have lost their jobs. This is a step too far in my opinion. Surely a final warning and a letter of expectations would have sufficed?

Still none of this matters because thanks to the Saudi right wing we have learned that Khashoggi was a radical in his youth and has hung out with some really uncool dudes from time to time.

So, don’t spare another thought for Jamal Khashoggi.

Donald Trumps’ business partners are the real victims here.

 

66 comments on “Saudi Arabia Admits Killing Khashoggi ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Chris T 1
    20 October 2018 at 3:44 pm

    Has Ross claimed he has a tape of Bridge’s ordering it yet?

    • Muttonbird 1.1
      20 October 2018 at 3:56 pm

      Grow up.

    • Dukeofurl 1.2
      20 October 2018 at 7:21 pm

      Instead we have the most sympathetic of political journalists tell us Bridges has gone ballistic with the gallery media, hostility means no more chats, and the rest are threatened with the defamation laws.
      When it’s Tracey Watkins telling the storey you know the rest fear for their jobs.

      The Saudis would approve of of Salman Bridges new approach

  2. Jenny 2
    20 October 2018 at 3:45 pm

    The US calls the shots in their neo-colonial puppet regime

    Saudi announcement says Khashoggi’s death was an accident.

    Surprise, surprise Donald Trump believes it.

    He suggested it.

    October 15: Donald Trump says that Saudi Arabia will ‘fess up’ and say that it was an accident during a struggle.

    October 20: Saudi Arabia ‘fesses up and say Jamal Khashoggi died during a “fist fight”.

    Pundits say the new killed-by-accident storyline protects Jared Kushner pal, Royal Prince MBS, and his “transforming Saudi Arabia” brand. It’s not clear who the Saudi ruling family elected to be thrown under the bus to take responsibility for the call to kill Khashoggi.

    https://deadline.com/2018/10/saudis-admit-jamal-khshoggi-killed-botched-kidnap-consulate-cnn-1202483004/

    Indeed.

    Who will the Saudis throw under the bus to satisfy the US Hegemon?

    No doubt; it will not be one of the guilty

    My guess is that the alleged principle murderer will be killed in Saudi custody by a Jack Ruby. Someone suffering a terminal illness who will also die in custody before trial.

  3. Ed 3
    20 October 2018 at 3:50 pm

    Best quip I read on Twitter was from Eli Clifton

    “Who amongst us hasn’t been involved in a fistfight that escalated into finger removal, homicide, dismemberment and a botched cover up?”

  4. Jenny 4
    20 October 2018 at 3:57 pm

    I’ll walk to the depths of the deepest dark forest
    Where the people are many and their hands are all empty
    Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
    Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
    And the executioner’s face is always well hidden
    Where hunger is ugly, where the souls are forgotten
    Where black is the color, where none is the number

    It’s a hard rain gonna fall

  5. joe90 5
    20 October 2018 at 4:02 pm

    Well, the despots do feel emboldened by the orange Julius’s admiration and tacit approval.

    https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-the-new-assassins-why-countries-are-getting-away-with-murder-across/

    • marty mars 5.1
      20 October 2018 at 5:02 pm

      “Today’s assassins are comparatively incompetent, sometimes comically so, at concealing their identities and nationalities. And their governments don’t appear to care much about secrecy – perhaps deliberately.”

      Yep I think it is deliberate. They know they won’t get held to justice. For them the more dim they appear the more their western fan base can use the ‘errors’ to sow dissent, confusion and doubt. The assassin governments are happy because their western dupes do all the hard work – from t.rump on down to lowly bloggers.

  6. marty mars 6
    20 October 2018 at 4:07 pm

    Yep for some like the saudi right wing he is not worth worrying about deserved it even. They are poor examples of humanity imo. For me and many others the disgusting murder of this journalist is too much. These murderers deserve the court and a trial.

  7. Bill 7
    20 October 2018 at 4:11 pm

    Hmm.

    Let’s say it was a “good guy” who never reappeared from the Consulate – just for arguments sake. Should that make any difference to how we perceive Saudi Arabia? What difference if it was a “bad guy”? Any?

    Saudi Arabia was the same place two weeks ago as it is today as it was ten years ago.

    And it’s right up there (maybe in a league of its own) in terms of “heinous” – public beheadings and floggings, next to zero freedom for women and corpses of those executed, just like in The Handmaid’s Tale, hung out for public display.

    It’s a state that vigorously promotes vile religious teachings around the world…and then there’s Yemen, Syria, Bahrain… (most people overlook that last one).

    I wrote before that I’m indifferent to the fact of Khasshoggi’s death (though not the alleged nature of his death). And I’m more than a little pissed at liberal mainstream media attempting to kind of deify the guy – build up an image of him as a fearless advocate of human rights or whatever, when he was plainly supportive of the Saudi government, supported the the war in Yemen and was enthusiastic about the spreading of Wahhibism (he was a combatant alongside Bin Laden in Afghanistan until the Saudi’s cut Bin Laden loose).

    By pivoting everything on the death of Khoshoggi, our governments get to carry on more or less as usual when or if the pressure brought to bear on bin Salman to step aside bears fruit.

    But does anyone seriously think that if bin Salman is ousted, anything of note will change within the Kingdom?

    On that torture front, and allowing for reports of an audio tape to be true and accurate – what explains the special moral outrage for that seven minutes against the near silence of reports from US drone operators watching Pakistani herdsmen bleed out though infrared cameras on their strike drones (Brendan Bryant) until their heat signature faded to be the same as that of the surrounding ground?

    Are the western countries, and their command infrastructures that allow for often sketchy missile strikes to be executed by “boys” sitting in control centers in the US – who themselves are then screwed up with PTSD – are those leaders and rulers not as deserving of our outrage and condemnation as those behind the death of this one man?

    • Ed 7.1
      20 October 2018 at 4:19 pm

      As ever Bill, you are spot on.
      Thank you.

    • McFlock 7.2
      20 October 2018 at 6:14 pm

      Probably not.

      The Saudis get extra outrage points for being so blatant about it.

      • Dukeofurl 7.2.1
        20 October 2018 at 7:32 pm

        Remember when the Saudis were in the gun for holding hostage in their country the Lebanese PM, and concocting his resignation?

        That’s right , the rest of the world doesn’t remember either

        • McFlock 7.2.1.1
          20 October 2018 at 7:46 pm

          Didn’t know that one.

          the sooner the world transitions away from oil, the better.

        • Bill 7.2.1.2
          20 October 2018 at 8:12 pm

          I seem to recall that Robert Fisk was a bit of a lone gun slinger on that one, aye?

          I guess I could do a quick “advanced” search of The Guardian, and on the basis that liberal editorial lines are basically in synch these days, confirm or undermine my memory that liberal mainstream media bought and then sold the “he’s resigned” line – with only a modicum of puzzlement thrown in on the top.

          edit – I’d call that confirmed. No condemnation of Saudi Arabia in any headline covering the period of the search.

    • Stuart Munro 7.3
      20 October 2018 at 6:41 pm

      “does anyone seriously think that if bin Salman is ousted, anything of note will change”

      They may. One of the characteristics of monarchies is that they can move very fast compared to democracies or republics.

      M. bin Salman represents one thread of Saudi thought, unleavened by consideration of other ways of looking at the world. He seems to be under no pressure to change from Trump’s clique. Were the pressure intense we might see a better specimen take the helm. And we may yet.

      • SPC 7.3.1
        20 October 2018 at 7:01 pm

        While Saudi Arabia’s foreign policy remains in accord with Israel (the division and conquest of the Moslem world – the Sunni vs Shia civil war, allowing the PA and UN refugee agency to be starved of funds and the pressure on Qatar/Al Jazeera, a region ruled by strong men rather than democracy), the Americans will have the back of Riyadh’s rulers.

        • Stuart Munro 7.3.1.1
          20 October 2018 at 11:36 pm

          There are two other big considerations in play.

          Saudi has a very large share of oil.

          And, while they are the custodian of the two holy mosques, any overt action against them of the kind large powers often contemplate, might so to speak, “set the world on fire”.

          From their own perspective the world is the middle east, and they and Iran compete for the role of Islamic hegemon.

          It was only in Saudi that I met reasonably moderate educated adult students who might say to me casually that Hitler made a pretty good go of things – not that they knew so much about Hitler or were neo-Nazis, but that they approved in general of a Napoleonic or Suleimanic ambition of world conquest.

          It’s a very young monarchy, created by conquering competing tribes – might be a while before it settles down.

  8. SPC 8
    20 October 2018 at 4:55 pm

    Then there is the matter of refugees in New Zealand being taken back to Saudi Arabia against their will.

    http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2018/10/reminder-saudi-arabia-kidnapped-people.html

    • Bill 8.1
      20 October 2018 at 5:43 pm

      Of equal concern(?), the US kidnaps people. I guess NZ is far enough out of the way to possibly not be one of the alleged 54 countries complicit in any of that.

      edit. Unsurprisingly, New Zealand’s not on the list. Geography, eh? 😉

      • SPC 8.1.1
        20 October 2018 at 7:18 pm

        No. Rendition of refugees and journalists should be off limits. And actual murder is itself out of that orbit.

        But the scale and lack of accountability of the American rendition programme is of itself offensive. Because injustice is inevitable under that design.

        • Bill 8.1.1.1
          20 October 2018 at 7:56 pm

          I’m not understanding the distinction there SPC.

          Was Khashoggi a journalist first and a former Mujahadeen fighter second? A Wabbist or a champion for western liberal whatever?

          And does/should it make a difference?

          Is the suggestion that a rendition is fine as long as the target isn’t a reporter or refugee, but only until such times as they die in custody due to torture?

          Renditions are/should be ‘off limits’ bullshit. All of them.

          • Stuart Munro 8.1.1.1.1
            20 October 2018 at 11:47 pm

            Unfortunately it’s not just renditions in Saudi’s case.

            It’s not that uncommon for someone to be dealt with in some anonymous apartment in Qatif – the kidnappings and Khashoggi are only external instances of a practice that appears to be well established.

            • Bill 8.1.1.1.1.1
              21 October 2018 at 12:32 am

              Unfortunately it’s not just renditions in Saudi’s case.

              Are you suggesting that if it was “just” renditions, then that would be okay? Are you suggesting that “just” renditions (by whomever) are within a ball park of acceptability?

              • Stuart Munro …
                21 October 2018 at 10:34 am

                No – just that they are part of a larger pattern of behavior.

                • Michelle …
                  24 October 2018 at 3:45 pm

                  A ‘pattern of behaviour’ that is a nice way of putting a cold blooded brutal savage murder and cover up in a consulate of another country.
                  Our ten thousand prisoners have patterns of behaviour and we call them crims and lock them up.

                  • Stuart Munro …
                    24 October 2018 at 5:34 pm

                    Quite. The fact is that it’s easy to reflexively label Saudi as a pack of crazed murderers, which falls a bit short of the truth.

                    When I was there, under the determinedly moderate King Abdullah, it was a pretty relaxed place. Certainly the draconian laws one might expect of a monarchy recently established by conquest were on the books, but the executive emphasis lay on clemency, and on the social part of Wahhabi’s legacy, which is considerable, and lays numerous duties on rulers somewhat in the fashion of Confucius. Abdullah ended the practice of slavery for example.

                    MBS seems to have departed from this example, and it will likely cost his country decades of diplomatic progress. Nevertheless, encouraging him to pursue a less sanguinary approach may be more likely to bear fruit than a condemnation that may render him deaf to external criticism.

          • Kevin 8.1.1.1.2
            21 October 2018 at 4:07 pm

            I think the removal of fingers as torture points to journalist first.

            More than anything else they were sending a signal.

      • Morrissey 8.1.2
        20 October 2018 at 7:27 pm

        So does Israel. That rogue state kidnaps, and has murdered, international peace activists. One of those peace activists kidnapped in 2016 was our own Marama Davidson. She returned to this country where, shortly after, Jesse Mulligan was forced to remain silent while a notorious thug called David Cumin poured filth on her….

        https://thestandard.org.nz/open-mike-08102016/#comment-1241801

    • marty mars 8.2
      20 October 2018 at 6:53 pm

      Good link. I’d missed that stuff – so horrible.

      “The New Zealand government owes a duty of care to those we have granted refugee status, and we have an obligation to protect them from this sort of shit.”

      So true. This country should protect in every way possible all citizens and anyone granted refugee status. These people are our people.

  9. Dennis Frank 9
    20 October 2018 at 6:00 pm

    In respect of our foreign policy, the bare minimum to retain credibility will have to be elimination of all ties to the Saudi regime. If that creates a problem for existing business contracts, the govt may be unable to curtail those, but it could call on any business trading with the regime to cease & desist asap.

    There needs to be some consistency with our traditional stance to such behaviour from the nazis & communists. Same principle as we applied to apartheid can be invoked: moral sanctions. The coalition govt needs to be firm & set a good example.

  10. Macro 10
    20 October 2018 at 6:57 pm

    WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—Donald J. Trump has dispatched the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, to Saudi Arabia to provide what the White House on Thursday called “essential lying advice and assistance.”

    According to the counsellor to the President Kellyanne Conway, “The President was not happy with the quality of lies coming out of the Saudi royal family, and who better to fix that than Sarah Sanders?”

    Sources close to Sanders said that the press secretary was “horrified” during her first meeting in Riyadh to discover that the crown prince’s lying skills were “rudimentary at best.”

    “The absence of a free press in Saudi Arabia means that M.B.S.”—Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman—“has had virtually zero experience lying to reporters,” Sanders reportedly told one of her aides. “The learning curve is going to be steep.”

    In perhaps her most withering comment on the state of the Saudis’ lying, Sanders said, “These clowns could never have gotten Kavanaugh confirmed.”

    https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/trump-dispatches-sarah-huckabee-sanders-to-saudi-arabia-to-provide-lying-advice

  11. Macro 11
    20 October 2018 at 7:09 pm

    Further to the above report…

    Putin Furious at Saudis for Using His Puppet Without Permission

    MOSCOW (The Borowitz Report)—The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, is “absolutely furious” at the Saudi royal family for using his puppet without first obtaining his permission, an aide to Putin confirmed on Wednesday.

    According to the aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Russian President has been “seething with anger” in recent days as he has observed the Saudis using his favorite puppet as if it were their own.

    “At one point, Putin was watching the news and saw his puppet behaving in the kind of scraping, subservient manner toward the Saudis that he had previously reserved for him,” the aide said. “He pulled the TV out of the wall and hurled it across the room.”

    According to diplomatic sources, the Saudis have reached out to Russia in the hopes of striking some sort of puppet-sharing agreement, but the enraged Russian President has refused to entertain such overtures.

    “He’s my tiny puppet, and only I can make him dance,” Putin reportedly snapped.

    • joe90 11.1
      20 October 2018 at 7:15 pm

      Obligatory.

      Hold me closer tiny dancer
      Count the headlights on the highway
      Lay me down in sheets of linen
      You had a busy day today

  12. Morrissey 12
    20 October 2018 at 7:21 pm

    “The Saudi targeting of food supplies in Yemen is a worse story than the disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi.”—Patrick Cockburn

    http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/10/18/did-jamal-khashoggi-have-sex-with-melania-trump-the-surprising-answer-is-buried-in-this-article/

    • Bill 12.1
      20 October 2018 at 7:41 pm

      Here’s an interview with Professor Martha Mundy (writer of the report mentioned in the article).

      She’s not ‘the best’ in front of a camera, but some there’s some additional information of an alleged political decision by “the west” to withdraw their financial presence from the country.

      So, on top of no food and no distribution and bombed out infrastructure, no-one from teachers to doctors to cleaners are getting paid.

    • Gabby 12.2
      20 October 2018 at 8:59 pm

      Not for Jamal obviously Morssisey.

  13. Morrissey 13
    20 October 2018 at 7:43 pm

    Thanks for that Bill! Very good indeed.

  14. Morrissey 14
    20 October 2018 at 9:23 pm

    Roll Call of Scumbaggery

    Here are some of the moral pygmies and louts who met with the Crown Prince earlier this year:

    President Trump, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Henry Kissinger, Michael Bloomberg, George W. Bush, George H. W. Bush, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey, Rupert Murdoch, Richard Branson, Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Theresa May, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William.

    http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/10/18/may-they-all-enter-the-saudi-consulate-in-turkey/

  15. joe90 15
    20 October 2018 at 9:26 pm

    Manal al-Sharif helped overturn the ban on Saudi women driving.

    Manal one of Saudi’s most renowned activists said Saud al-Qahtani (MBS advisor now blamed for Khashoggi) tried to lure her to a Saudi embassy in Australia. So many activists and even princes have told me similar stories all linked to Saud Al-Qahtani. He did not just go rogue. https://t.co/HBUIP5jPfm— Bel Trew (@Beltrew) October 20, 2018

    https://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/german/en/article/2018/05/22/saudi-migrant-australia-who-helped-overturn-driving-ban-women-too-scared-return

    • RedLogix 15.1
      20 October 2018 at 9:43 pm

      If you really want uncomfortable:

      • Ad 15.1.1
        22 October 2018 at 6:25 pm

        Lovely work there; great the way she takes them through the publications and through the historical movements that have enforced the hijab with no good reference within the Koran to its compulsion or necessity.

  16. marty mars 16
    21 October 2018 at 9:32 am

    “Tawakkol Karman, a Yemeni Nobel peace prize laureate, told the Guardian: “Personally I have lost a friend and adviser. But the world has lost an important voice and the Arab Spring one of its most important defenders.

    “Saudi Arabia wanted to silence him forever but instead he has become an international icon for freedom of expression. This crime cannot go unpunished. Spilling his blood has only made the case stronger against the cruelty and repression of Saudi Arabia.””

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/20/khashoggi-mourners-demand-true-justice-after-saudi-disclosures

    “Tawakkol Karman, a co-recipient of the 2011 Nobel peace prize, chairs Women Journalists Without Chains. She is a human rights activist and leader of the popular revolution movement in Yemen.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/profile/tawakkol-karman

  17. Pete 17
    21 October 2018 at 12:52 pm

    Have Health and Safety warning signs been put up outside the Saudi consulate office in New Zealand?

    • Michelle 17.1
      23 October 2018 at 1:13 pm

      We should get rid of that consulate we don’t want those people here we should be distancing ourselves from this country and those rotten evil leaders now.

  18. SPC 18
    22 October 2018 at 5:52 pm

    After Saudi Arabia admits a rogue action led to his murder, the Turks say they have evidence of a phone call to him from the Crown Prince just before he was killed – he was asked to return to Suadi Arabia and after he said no, he was then killed by the said rogue action agents.

    Seriously burnt.

    Pressure for the admission, get it, then show the connection direct to the Crown Prince.

    The Turks must be trying to end the Crown Prince /Kushner/Zionist action against Qatar.

  19. Ad 19
    22 October 2018 at 6:21 pm

    Great to see the UK, France and Germany come out so hard against this killing and cover up.

    Also awesome to see the Saudi Foreign Minister having to do some work.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2018/10/21/middleeast/jamal-khashoggi-international-pressure-builds-intl/index.html

    Looking forward to seeing Turkey release the tapes this week.

  20. Dennis Frank 20
    22 October 2018 at 6:43 pm

    “Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would reveal the “naked truth” of the matter in parliament on Tuesday.” https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-45935823

    “In a Washington Post interview on Saturday, US President Donald Trump said there had been “deception” and “lies” in Saudi Arabia’s explanation, having previously said he found their narrative to be credible.” I suspect he’s been given advance notice.

    • Dennis Frank 20.1
      22 October 2018 at 7:48 pm

      Stuff reported this: “Saudi authorities have arrested 18 Saudi nationals and have dismissed several senior officials following an initial investigation of the Khashoggi case.”

      Looks like the Crown Prince is using plausible deniability to weave an illusion that the hit squad were rogue government agents. Who is likely to believe that the Saudi embassy staff allowed the takeover by the squad without official government authorisation? Hardly anybody. Not even Trump. The only way this has a snowball in hell’s chance of working is if they tell the world’s media who authorised the embassy takeover, and on what basis, and it stands up to scrutiny!!

      • SPC 20.1.1
        22 October 2018 at 10:48 pm

        The Turks have a phone call between the Crown Prince and the victim in the embassy – after he refuses to go to Riyadh willingly, he is then killed by the goons in the consulate.

        So burnt. The rogue agents line is buried.

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    Notes: This is a free article. Abuse in Care themes are mentioned. Video is at the bottom.BackgroundYesterday’s report into Abuse in Care revealed that at least 1 in 3 of all who went through state and faith based care were abused - often horrifically. At least, because not all survivors ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Will debt reduction trump abuse in care redress?

    Luxon speaks in Parliament yesterday about the Abuse in Care report. Photo: Hagen Hopkins/Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:PM Christopher Luxon said yesterday in tabling the Abuse in Care report in Parliament he wanted to ‘do the ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Olywhites and Time Bandits

    About a decade ago I worked with a bloke called Steve. He was the grizzled veteran coder, a few years older than me, who knew where the bodies were buried - code wise. Despite his best efforts to be approachable and friendly he could be kind of gruff, through to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Why were the 1930s so hot in North America?

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Jeff Masters and Bob Henson Those who’ve trawled social media during heat waves have likely encountered a tidbit frequently used to brush aside human-caused climate change: Many U.S. states and cities had their single hottest temperature on record during the 1930s, setting incredible heat marks ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • Throwback Thursday – Thinking about Expressways

    Some of the recent announcements from the government have reminded us of posts we’ve written in the past. Here’s one from early 2020. There were plenty of reactions to the government’s infrastructure announcement a few weeks ago which saw them fund a bunch of big roading projects. One of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Thursday, July 25 are:News: Why Electric Kiwi is closing to new customers - and why it matters RNZ’s Susan EdmundsScoop: Government drops ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • The Possum: Demon or Friend?

    Hi,I felt a small wet tongue snaking through one of the holes in my Crocs. It explored my big toe, darting down one side, then the other. “He’s looking for some toe cheese,” said the woman next to me, words that still haunt me to this day.Growing up in New ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Not a story

    Yesterday I happily quoted the Prime Minister without fact-checking him and sure enough, it turns out his numbers were all to hell. It’s not four kg of Royal Commission report, it’s fourteen.My friend and one-time colleague-in-comms Hazel Phillips gently alerted me to my error almost as soon as I’d hit ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Thursday, July 25

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Thursday, July 25, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day were:The Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry published its final report yesterday.PM Christopher Luxon and The Minister responsible for ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • A tougher line on “proactive release”?

    The Official Information Act has always been a battle between requesters seeking information, and governments seeking to control it. Information is power, so Ministers and government agencies want to manage what is released and when, for their own convenience, and legality and democracy be damned. Their most recent tactic for ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • 'Let's build a motorway costing $100 million per km, before emissions costs'

    TL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:Transport and Energy Minister Simeon Brown is accelerating plans to spend at least $10 billion through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to extend State Highway One as a four-lane ‘Expressway’ from Warkworth to Whangarei ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Lester's Prescription – Positive Bleeding.

    I live my life (woo-ooh-ooh)With no control in my destinyYea-yeah, yea-yeah (woo-ooh-ooh)I can bleed when I want to bleedSo come on, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)You can bleed when you want to bleedYea-yeah, come on (woo-ooh-ooh)Everybody bleed when they want to bleedCome on and bleedGovernments face tough challenges. Selling unpopular decisions to ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Casey Costello gaslights Labour in the House

    Please note:To skip directly to the- parliamentary footage in the video, scroll to 1:21 To skip to audio please click on the headphone icon on the left hand side of the screenThis video / audio section is under development. ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Why is the Texas grid in such bad shape?

    This is a re-post from the Climate Brink by Andrew Dessler Headline from 2021 The Texas grid, run by ERCOT, has had a rough few years. In 2021, winter storm Uri blacked out much of the state for several days. About a week ago, Hurricane Beryl knocked out ...
    Skeptical Science
    3 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on a textbook case of spending waste by the Luxon government

    Given the crackdown on wasteful government spending, it behooves me to point to a high profile example of spending by the Luxon government that looks like a big, fat waste of time and money. I’m talking about the deployment of NZDF personnel to support the US-led coalition in the Red ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:40 am on Wednesday, July 24 are:Deep Dive: Chipping away at the housing crisis, including my comments RNZ/Newsroom’s The DetailNews: Government softens on asset sales, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • LXR Takaanini

    As I reported about the city centre, Auckland’s rail network is also going through a difficult and disruptive period which is rapidly approaching a culmination, this will result in a significant upgrade to the whole network. Hallelujah. Also like the city centre this is an upgrade predicated on the City ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    3 days ago
  • Four kilograms of pain

    Today, a 4 kilogram report will be delivered to Parliament. We know this is what the report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care weighs, because our Prime Minister told us so.Some reporter had blindsided him by asking a question about something done by ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Wednesday, July 24

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Wednesday, July 24, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Beehive: Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced plans to use PPPs to fund, build and run a four-lane expressway between Auckland ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Luxon gets caught out

    NewstalkZB host Mike Hosking, who can usually be relied on to give Prime Minister Christopher Luxon an easy run, did not do so yesterday when he interviewed him about the HealthNZ deficit. Luxon is trying to use a deficit reported last year by HealthNZ as yet another example of the ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • A worrying sign

    Back in January a StatsNZ employee gave a speech at Rātana on behalf of tangata whenua in which he insulted and criticised the government. The speech clearly violated the principle of a neutral public service, and StatsNZ started an investigation. Part of that was getting an external consultant to examine ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Are we fine with 47.9% home-ownership by 2048?

    Renting for life: Shared ownership initiatives are unlikely to slow the slide in home ownership by much. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy today are:A Deloitte report for Westpac has projected Aotearoa’s home-ownership rate will ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Let's Win This

    You're broken down and tiredOf living life on a merry go roundAnd you can't find the fighterBut I see it in you so we gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsWe gonna walk it outAnd move mountainsAnd I'll rise upI'll rise like the dayI'll rise upI'll rise unafraidI'll rise upAnd I'll ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • Waimahara: The Singing Spirit of Water

    There’s been a change in Myers Park. Down the steps from St. Kevin’s Arcade, past the grassy slopes, the children’s playground, the benches and that goat statue, there has been a transformation. The underpass for Mayoral Drive has gone from a barren, grey, concrete tunnel, to a place that thrums ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    4 days ago
  • A major milestone: Global climate pollution may have just peaked

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections Global society may have finally slammed on the brakes for climate-warming pollution released by human fossil fuel combustion. According to the Carbon Monitor Project, the total global climate pollution released between February and May 2024 declined slightly from the amount released during the same ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Tuesday, July 23 are:Deep Dive: Penlink: where tolling rhetoric meets reality BusinessDesk-$$$’s Oliver LewisScoop: Te Pūkenga plans for regional polytechs leak out ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Tuesday, July 23

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Tuesday, July 23, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:Health: Shane Reti announced the Board of Te Whatu Ora- Health New Zealand was being replaced with Commissioner Lester Levy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • HealthNZ and Luxon at cross purposes over budget blowout

    Health NZ warned the Government at the end of March that it was running over Budget. But the reasons it gave were very different to those offered by the Prime Minister yesterday. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon blamed the “botched merger” of the 20 District Health Boards (DHBs) to create Health ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    4 days ago
  • 2500-3000 more healthcare staff expected to be fired, as Shane Reti blames Labour for a budget defic...

    Long ReadKey Summary: Although National increased the health budget by $1.4 billion in May, they used an old funding model to project health system costs, and never bothered to update their pre-election numbers. They were told during the Health Select Committees earlier in the year their budget amount was deficient, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    4 days ago
  • Might Kamala Harris be about to get a 'stardust' moment like Jacinda Ardern?

    As a momentous, historic weekend in US politics unfolded, analysts and commentators grasped for precedents and comparisons to help explain the significance and power of the choice Joe Biden had made. The 46th president had swept the Democratic party’s primaries but just over 100 days from the election had chosen ...
    PunditBy Tim Watkin
    5 days ago
  • Solutions Interview: Steven Hail on MMT & ecological economics

    TL;DR: I’m casting around for new ideas and ways of thinking about Aotearoa’s political economy to find a few solutions to our cascading and self-reinforcing housing, poverty and climate crises.Associate Professor runs an online masters degree in the economics of sustainability at Torrens University in Australia and is organising ...
    The KakaBy Steven Hail
    5 days ago
  • Reported back

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee has reported back on National's Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Bill. The bill sets up water for privatisation, and was introduced under urgency, then rammed through select committee with no time even for local councils to make a proper submission. Naturally, national's select committee ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Vandrad the Viking, Christopher Coombes, and Literary Archaeology

    Some years ago, I bought a book at Dunedin’s Regent Booksale for $1.50. As one does. Vandrad the Viking (1898), by J. Storer Clouston, is an obscure book these days – I cannot find a proper online review – but soon it was sitting on my shelf, gathering dust alongside ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell On The Biden Withdrawal

    History is not on the side of the centre-left, when Democratic presidents fall behind in the polls and choose not to run for re-election. On both previous occasions in the past 75 years (Harry Truman in 1952, Lyndon Johnson in 1968) the Democrats proceeded to then lose the White House ...
    WerewolfBy lyndon
    5 days ago
  • Joe Biden's withdrawal puts the spotlight back on Kamala and the USA's complicated relatio...

    This is a free articleCoverageThis morning, US President Joe Biden announced his withdrawal from the Presidential race. And that is genuinely newsworthy. Thanks for your service, President Biden, and all the best to you and yours.However, the media in New Zealand, particularly the 1News nightly bulletin, has been breathlessly covering ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Why we have to challenge our national fiscal assumptions

    A homeless person’s camp beside a blocked-off slipped damage walkway in Freeman’s Bay: we are chasing our tail on our worsening and inter-related housing, poverty and climate crises. Photo: Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Existential Crisis and Damaged Brains

    What has happened to it all?Crazy, some'd sayWhere is the life that I recognise?(Gone away)But I won't cry for yesterdayThere's an ordinary worldSomehow I have to findAnd as I try to make my wayTo the ordinary worldYesterday morning began as many others - what to write about today? I began ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • A speed limit is not a target, and yet…

    This is a guest post from longtime supporter Mr Plod, whose previous contributions include a proposal that Hamilton become New Zealand’s capital city, and that we should switch which side of the road we drive on. A recent Newsroom article, “Back to school for the Govt’s new speed limit policy“, ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 7:00 am on Monday, July 22 are:Today’s Must Read: Father and son live in a tent, and have done for four years, in a million ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Monday, July 22

    TL;DR: As of 7:00 am on Monday, July 22, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:US President Joe Biden announced via X this morning he would not stand for a second term.Multinational professional services firm ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #29

    A listing of 32 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, July 14, 2024 thru Sat, July 20, 2024. Story of the week As reflected by preponderance of coverage, our Story of the Week is Project 2025. Until now traveling ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • I'd like to share what I did this weekend

    This weekend, a friend pointed out someone who said they’d like to read my posts, but didn’t want to pay. And my first reaction was sympathy.I’ve already told folks that if they can’t comfortably subscribe, and would like to read, I’d be happy to offer free subscriptions. I don’t want ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • For the children – Why mere sentiment can be a misleading force in our lives, and lead to unex...

    National: The Party of ‘Law and Order’ IntroductionThis weekend, the Government formally kicked off one of their flagship policy programs: a military style boot camp that New Zealand has experimented with over the past 50 years. Cartoon credit: Guy BodyIt’s very popular with the National Party’s Law and Order image, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    6 days ago
  • A friend in uncertain times

    Day one of the solo leg of my long journey home begins with my favourite sound: footfalls in an empty street. 5.00 am and it’s already light and already too warm, almost.If I can make the train that leaves Budapest later this hour I could be in Belgrade by nightfall; ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • The Chaotic World of Male Diet Influencers

    Hi,We’ll get to the horrific world of male diet influencers (AKA Beefy Boys) shortly, but first you will be glad to know that since I sent out the Webworm explaining why the assassination attempt on Donald Trump was not a false flag operation, I’ve heard from a load of people ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    6 days ago
  • It's Starting To Look A Lot Like… Y2K

    Do you remember Y2K, the threat that hung over humanity in the closing days of the twentieth century? Horror scenarios of planes falling from the sky, electronic payments failing and ATMs refusing to dispense cash. As for your VCR following instructions and recording your favourite show - forget about it.All ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Bernard’s Saturday Soliloquy for the week to July 20

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts being questioned by The Kākā’s Bernard Hickey.TL;DR: My top six things to note around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the week to July 20 were:1. A strategy that fails Zero Carbon Act & Paris targetsThe National-ACT-NZ First Coalition Government finally unveiled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Pharmac Director, Climate Change Commissioner, Health NZ Directors – The latest to quit this m...

    Summary:As New Zealand loses at least 12 leaders in the public service space of health, climate, and pharmaceuticals, this month alone, directly in response to the Government’s policies and budget choices, what lies ahead may be darker than it appears. Tui examines some of those departures and draws a long ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Flooding Housing Policy

    The Minister of Housing’s ambition is to reduce markedly the ratio of house prices to household incomes. If his strategy works it would transform the housing market, dramatically changing the prospects of housing as an investment.Leaving aside the Minister’s metaphor of ‘flooding the market’ I do not see how the ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • A Voyage Among the Vandals: Accepted (Again!)

    As previously noted, my historical fantasy piece, set in the fifth-century Mediterranean, was accepted for a Pirate Horror anthology, only for the anthology to later fall through. But in a good bit of news, it turned out that the story could indeed be re-marketed as sword and sorcery. As of ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā's Chorus for Friday, July 19

    An employee of tobacco company Philip Morris International demonstrates a heated tobacco device. Photo: Getty ImagesTL;DR: The top six things I’ve noted around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy on Friday, July 19 are:At a time when the Coalition Government is cutting spending on health, infrastructure, education, housing ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Pick 'n' Mix for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: My pick of the top six links elsewhere around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day or so to 8:30 am on Friday, July 19 are:Scoop: NZ First Minister Casey Costello orders 50% cut to excise tax on heated tobacco products. The minister has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Roundup 19-July-2024

    Kia ora, it’s time for another Friday roundup, in which we pull together some of the links and stories that caught our eye this week. Feel free to add more in the comments! Our header image this week shows a foggy day in Auckland town, captured by Patrick Reynolds. ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Weekly Climate Wrap: A market-led plan for failure

    TL;DR : Here’s the top six items climate news for Aotearoa this week, as selected by Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer. A discussion recorded yesterday is in the video above and the audio of that sent onto the podcast feed.The Government released its draft Emissions Reduction ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Tobacco First

    Save some money, get rich and old, bring it back to Tobacco Road.Bring that dynamite and a crane, blow it up, start all over again.Roll up. Roll up. Or tailor made, if you prefer...Whether you’re selling ciggies, digging for gold, catching dolphins in your nets, or encouraging folks to flutter ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Trump’s Adopted Son.

    Waiting In The Wings: For truly, if Trump is America’s un-assassinated Caesar, then J.D. Vance is America’s Octavian, the Republic’s youthful undertaker – and its first Emperor.DONALD TRUMP’S SELECTION of James D. Vance as his running-mate bodes ill for the American republic. A fervent supporter of Viktor Orban, the “illiberal” prime ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 week ago
  • The Kākā’s Journal of Record for Friday, July 19

    TL;DR: As of 6:00 am on Friday, July 19, the top six announcements, speeches, reports and research around housing, climate and poverty in Aotearoa’s political economy in the last day are:The PSA announced the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) had ruled in the PSA’s favour in its case against the Ministry ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Joint statement from the Prime Ministers of Canada, Australia and New Zealand

    Australia, Canada and New Zealand today issued the following statement on the need for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza and the risk of expanded conflict between Hizballah and Israel. The situation in Gaza is catastrophic. The human suffering is unacceptable. It cannot continue.  We remain unequivocal in our condemnation of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago
  • AG reminds institutions of legal obligations

    Attorney-General Judith Collins today reminded all State and faith-based institutions of their legal obligation to preserve records relevant to the safety and wellbeing of those in its care. “The Abuse in Care Inquiry’s report has found cases where records of the most vulnerable people in State and faith‑based institutions were ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • More young people learning about digital safety

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Government’s online safety website for children and young people has reached one million page views.  “It is great to see so many young people and their families accessing the site Keep It Real Online to learn how to stay safe online, and manage ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago
  • Speech to the Conference for General Practice 2024

    Tēnā tātou katoa,  Ngā mihi te rangi, ngā mihi te whenua, ngā mihi ki a koutou, kia ora mai koutou. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and the invitation to speak at this 50th anniversary conference. I acknowledge all those who have gone before us and paved the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Employers and payroll providers ready for tax changes

    New Zealand’s payroll providers have successfully prepared to ensure 3.5 million individuals will, from Wednesday next week, be able to keep more of what they earn each pay, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Revenue Minister Simon Watts.  “The Government's tax policy changes are legally effective from Wednesday. Delivering this tax ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Experimental vineyard futureproofs wine industry

    An experimental vineyard which will help futureproof the wine sector has been opened in Blenheim by Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson. The covered vineyard, based at the New Zealand Wine Centre – Te Pokapū Wāina o Aotearoa, enables controlled environmental conditions. “The research that will be produced at the Experimental ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Funding confirmed for regions affected by North Island Weather Events

    The Coalition Government has confirmed the indicative regional breakdown of North Island Weather Event (NIWE) funding for state highway recovery projects funded through Budget 2024, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Regions in the North Island suffered extensive and devastating damage from Cyclone Gabrielle and the 2023 Auckland Anniversary Floods, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Indonesian Foreign Minister to visit

    Indonesia’s Foreign Minister, Retno Marsudi, will visit New Zealand next week, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced.   “Indonesia is important to New Zealand’s security and economic interests and is our closest South East Asian neighbour,” says Mr Peters, who is currently in Laos to engage with South East Asian partners. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Strengthening partnership with Ngāti Maniapoto

    He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. The government has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the aspirations of Ngāti Maniapoto, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka says. “My thanks to Te Nehenehenui Trust – Ngāti Maniapoto for bringing their important kōrero to a ministerial ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Transport Minister thanks outgoing CAA Chair

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has thanked outgoing Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority, Janice Fredric, for her service to the board.“I have received Ms Fredric’s resignation from the role of Chair of the Civil Aviation Authority,” Mr Brown says.“On behalf of the Government, I want to thank Ms Fredric for ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Test for Customary Marine Title being restored

    The Government is proposing legislation to overturn a Court of Appeal decision and amend the Marine and Coastal Area Act in order to restore Parliament’s test for Customary Marine Title, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Section 58 required an applicant group to prove they have exclusively used and occupied ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Opposition united in bad faith over ECE sector review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says that opposition parties have united in bad faith, opposing what they claim are ‘dangerous changes’ to the Early Childhood Education sector, despite no changes even being proposed yet.  “Issues with affordability and availability of early childhood education, and the complexity of its regulation, has led ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Kiwis having their say on first regulatory review

    After receiving more than 740 submissions in the first 20 days, Regulation Minister David Seymour is asking the Ministry for Regulation to extend engagement on the early childhood education regulation review by an extra two weeks.  “The level of interest has been very high, and from the conversations I’ve been ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail

    The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines as part of a funding agreement with the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA), KiwiRail, and the Greater Wellington and Horizons Regional Councils to deliver more reliable services for commuters in the lower North Island, Transport Minister Simeon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Government moves to ensure flood protection for Wairoa

    Local Government Minister Simeon Brown has announced his intention to appoint a Crown Manager to both Hawke’s Bay Regional and Wairoa District Councils to speed up the delivery of flood protection work in Wairoa."Recent severe weather events in Wairoa this year, combined with damage from Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 have ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • PM speech to Parliament – Royal Commission of Inquiry’s Report into Abuse in Care

    Mr Speaker, this is a day that many New Zealanders who were abused in State care never thought would come. It’s the day that this Parliament accepts, with deep sorrow and regret, the Report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.  At the heart of this report are the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges torture at Lake Alice

    For the first time, the Government is formally acknowledging some children and young people at Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital experienced torture. The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in State and Faith-based Care “Whanaketia – through pain and trauma, from darkness to light,” was tabled in Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government acknowledges courageous abuse survivors

    The Government has acknowledged the nearly 2,400 courageous survivors who shared their experiences during the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State and Faith-Based Care. The final report from the largest and most complex public inquiry ever held in New Zealand, the Royal Commission Inquiry “Whanaketia – through ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Half a million people use tax calculator

    With a week to go before hard-working New Zealanders see personal income tax relief for the first time in fourteen years, 513,000 people have used the Budget tax calculator to see how much they will benefit, says Finance Minister Nicola Willis.  “Tax relief is long overdue. From next Wednesday, personal income ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Paid Parental Leave improvements pass first reading

    Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden says a bill that has passed its first reading will improve parental leave settings and give non-biological parents more flexibility as primary carer for their child. The Regulatory Systems Amendment Bill (No3), passed its first reading this morning. “It includes a change ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Rebuilding the economy through better regulation

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