Schools stand up for education

Written By: - Date published: 8:28 am, November 3rd, 2010 - 70 comments
Categories: education - Tags: ,

Back in June I wrote about the news of the first few schools standing up for the education of their children, and refusing to participate in National’s flawed, damaging “national standards” process. That post finished: “It’s good to see teachers putting the welfare of the children first, and refusing to participate in a process which will do no conceivable good, and may do considerable harm. Dunedin, Invercargill, Auckland – who’s next?”.

Well now we know who:

Rebel schools: We won’t set standards

More than 200 schools are refusing to introduce part of the Government’s mandatory national standards next year after voting “no confidence” in the system.

Boards of trustees of at least 225 schools – out of a national total of 2018 – say it is time to take action against the standards, which they say are “flawed, confusing and unworkable” and need to be completely reviewed.

The article concludes with a full list of the schools, spanning the length and breadth of the country.

National’s response is as predictable is it is disappointing. They are trying to spin this boycott as “a political action” led by Labour activists, pushing a “union agenda”. Bullshit. This is a grass roots movement of community boards, standing up for the education of their children. They have a mass of educational evidence and professional opinion on their side. They are defending an education system that is by some assessments the best in the world. Anne Tolley and the Nats have precisely no evidence to support their position, all they can do is repeat threats, slogans and lies. That is why the Nats are losing this debate.

So, 225 schools so far, and counting. Who’s next?

70 comments on “Schools stand up for education ”

  1. graham 1

    less than 10percent of schools
    how many are controled by labour party members on the board like helens mate simon?
    again bring it on mainstream nz want to know about their children you are making nationals job easier for 2011

    • Pascal's bookie 1.1

      less than 10percent of schools

      Ms Tolley wants a word with you RE: fail.

      Also, I strongly doubt any government would want to get into a knock down and sack them fight with more than ten percent of the parent elected school boards. You can quote Bush’s ‘bring it on’ all you like, but you might want to remember how that worked out for him.

    • r0b 1.2

      See reply 2.1 below.

    • Marty G 1.3

      just failed the national standard in statistics there, graham.

      225/2018 = 11.5%

      And that’s only the ones that have formally rejected the standards.

      • the sprout 1.3.1

        maffs is hard, eh graham 😆

        • Colonial Viper 1.3.1.1

          This is where I use the old Right Wingers’ line about how facts are oh-so-inconvenient.

          They are, aren’t they, graham? 😀 😀 😀

          And that’s only the ones that have formally rejected the standards.

          Exactly. Informal rejections should easily double that number.

          Oooohhh that makes it almost exactly 1/3 of schools! Maffs ain’t that hard. And I learnt that without any National Standards 🙂

      • graham 1.3.2

        i am sure you got a hard on to point out it wasnt 10 perent but 11.5
        my god what a w**ker

        • Colonial Viper 1.3.2.1

          less than 10percent of schools

          Nah you’re the w**ker for writing that, when you clearly had no idea and was making shit up.

          Inconvenient things eh, these ‘facts’?

          • graham 1.3.2.1.1

            bullshit now you are making things up
            Most of you leftwing knobs here remind me of my brother
            he went to varsity got a Phd
            Then moans that his brother who used the ito route out earns him threefold each year and has a nett worth 50 times more
            what a f***king loser he is

            • Colonial Viper 1.3.2.1.1.1

              Since you made that 10% number up out of your ass I reckon its quite likely that you’re making all the rest of this up too.

              bullshit now you are making things up

              Mate you know that anyone can scroll up and see what you wrote earlier in the day, right?

              out earns him threefold each year and has a nett worth 50 times more

              Dude you measure your self worth with money and you’re still this angry? What gives?

              • graham

                i saw that the figure was appox 10 per cent from the same data that you worked out it was 11.5 percent knob
                i could be arsed getiing my calulator out to get the right figure because i am not a knobhead like you
                if it ment dollars to me then i would work it out to the last cent

                get a life

                • Colonial Viper

                  Hey you said it was *less* than 10%, not me.

                  You are the big money man, I’m real surprised that you can’t you tell if a number is bigger or smaller than 10% by just looking at it? You know, $20 from $200 that kind of thing.

                  If you had got your PhD I bet you would be able to tell.

  2. Fisiani 2

    That is why the Nats are losing this debate.

    90% of schools are implementing National Standards.
    90% is losing?????
    Sounds like you would not pass the maths national standard.

    • r0b 2.1

      Yes losing. 10% of schools in revolt is the biggest education revolt I can recall in this country, ever. And the 90% complying? Well

      Schools warned to report on standards or lose funds

      The Minister of Education has warned schools they will miss out on extra resources if they do not provide national standards figures to the ministry.

      Compliance under duress is not “winning” the debate — it’s a sign that you’ve totally fucking lost it.

    • lprent 2.2

      Besides that is just the boards of parents. Most boards will have ticked the box for proformas sake and a lot of them won’t be making any effort to implement these silly standards.

      Then of course there are the teachers and principals who won’t be making any effort.

      The problem for National is that they they haven’t been able to convince virtually anyone in the schools that this is a workable idea. It looks simply like National wanting to fufil a badly thought out paragraph in their pre-election ‘policies’ for not other reason than their bloated egos.

      Consequently they’re getting a massive civil disobedience grassroots movement against implementing something that doesn’t appear to have any benefits to either the kids or the parents and causes a whole pile of extra work for the schools and teachers. Needless to say there is no extra budget for extra staff for this so the time taken comes out of things that might actually benefit the kids.

  3. Roflcopter 3

    I’m sure National are more than happy for the left to make this an election issue next year.

    • Colonial Viper 3.1

      Interesting, I think Labour will be more than happy to make this an election issue as well.

      Agreement!!!

  4. The schools declining to impliment the bogus National Standards are mostly from mid to high SES schools, they are not of the demographics typically associated with Labour – quite the opposite, most are from middle New Zealand, National electorates.

    A very clear indication of just what a monster screw-up this scheme has been from the start. Perhaps if National hadn’t tried to steamroll this through and instead took the time to consult with the stakeholders and experts, they wouldn’t be in quite the mess they’re in now.

    National’s arrogant, self-serving politicking with children’s education is a bloody disgrace. No surpise that their National Standards are a fiasco.

  5. ianmac 5

    Mrs Whatshername Head of School Trustees Association was very forward a few months ago saying that 90% or so of Boards support National Standards (about 12 out of 15 I think who replied). But now she bravely says that she is keeping out of the issue because she is just there to help BOTs to get training on how to run BOTs. What a woman!

  6. toad 6

    Seems that Farrar has run out of arguments on this one. All he can come up with this morning is to attack the Chair of Balmoral School’s Board for being a Labour Party member.

    • Bright Red 6.1

      It’s a sad day when being poltiically active bars you from expressing political opinions.

      Of course, Farrar is a paid-up member of National who usually fails to mention that when in the media, so the hypocrisy is pretty rank

      • grumpy 6.1.1

        No problem with expressing opinions if you are politically active – it just detracts from the original argument if one is seen to have another agenda.

        • the sprout 6.1.1.1

          I guess considering how politically active Farrar is, his views therefore don’t count for shit.
          In which case being politically active is immaterial to the validity of his views…
          In which case considering how politically active Farrar is, his views therefore don’t count for shit.
          In which case being politically active is immaterial to the validity of his views….
          …and so on.

          I think that’s called a paradox… sympomatic of his deeply flawed reasoning.

          • grumpy 6.1.1.1.1

            I agree that Farrar’s views on anything political need to be considered with regard to his political activity – it’s the same for this guy.

            • lprent 6.1.1.1.1.1

              Next you’ll be arguing that because I went to Balmoral that obviously explains that they’re a ‘leftie’ school and a hotbed of revolutionary thought.

              But the problem is that in the 40 years that I’ve been associated to one degree or another to the school either through attending or having the families kids attending, I’d have to say that they are anything but. They’re just solidly pragmatic and mostly interested in making sure that they give the best education possible. Hell my old man did his time on the board and I think my sister did as well. Both are about as centrist as you can get.

              For that matter, thats where I’d put Simon from what I know of him.

              Basically you’re talking shite…

              • grumpy

                You are talking from the perspective of one who knows the guy and shares his politics.

                The rest of NZ just see a Labour activist.

                It’s about perspective.

                • Pascal's bookie

                  “The rest of NZ just see a Labour activist.”

                  Doubleplusgood duckspeakers bellyfeel goodthink of david farrar sho nuff there grumpy. But that ain’t ‘the rest of NZ’ by a long shot.

                • lprent

                  Nope.

                  I’ve barely talked to the guy over the last decade or so that I’ve known him. But I suspect that I’m generally to the right of Simon from when I’ve heard him speaking. But he would be a good representative for my old school from what I have heard. Solidly middle class family guy, pragmatic, professional, and extremely hard-working.

                  Basically Farrar knows jack-shit about Mt Albert (and very little about anywhere else from what I see). After all I seem to remember that he was confidentially predicting that Mt Albert could fall to national at the by-election. For that matter he seemed to think that Aucklanders would like being shafted by Rodney over the super-shitty and gratefully vote in a right leaning council.

                  He knows jack-shit about Auckland, Labour activists or my old school and its parents. Only a fool would take the political penguin seriously…. Are you… ?

              • graham

                It is what the rest of new zealands sees that counts
                Just another labour party member pissed off that helen lost

        • ianmac 6.1.1.2

          Hope that it is not a political agenda as the case against National Standards is universal. I guess the supporters of the change are really supporting a failing National Minister. This would seem to be the case judging from comments on for instance the Herald “What are your views.” Or here on the Standard for that matter.

  7. Crumble 7

    A very quick look at were the schools are in relation to National or Labour seats based on this list http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10684972

    Southland/Invercargill- National Seats
    Otago- 9 schools in Labour seats/2 in National Seat
    Hawkes Bay- National Seats
    Waikato/Hamilton- National Seats
    Not to sure with the Tai Tokerau if they meant the Maori Seat which is held by the Maori Party or Northland/Whangarei which are both National Seats.

    Wellington, Auckland and Canterbury will be done later today.

    • the sprout 7.1

      nice work Crumble

    • Colonial Viper 7.2

      I hope a campaign is underway to convince schools which are quietly against NS to stand forward month by month with the others who have registered their formal opposition. The schools who have come forward in their opposition should put together a short and tightly argued position document and fire it out across schools and parents throughout the country.

      The document should have clear requests for specific actions and changes from the MoE, and justifications.

      This campaign should go on well into the new year.

    • Lanthanide 7.3

      For CHCH, just check which of the schools are in Brownlee’s electorate (whatever that is, I didn’t even know he’d won one) and the rest are labour/left.

      • NickS 7.3.1

        Ilam, which is has large low income and state housing areas (Brownlee’s office is actually right in the middle of one these bits), but with quite a lot of upper and middle class areas as well.
        http://www.elections.org.nz/mapping/report/ilam.html

        Mostly it’s lower-middle class schools, aside from Fendalton, Ilam and Medbury, possibly Elmswood as well, are all upper decile schools, if my memories of biking around the area and other bits serves me right.

  8. Me 8

    My local school is implementing national standards but under protest. They have made it clear to the parents that they think the standards are flawed, will not improve outcomes, and should have been trialled first.

    This is a high decile school in a solidly blue electorate (John Key’s own).

  9. Fabregas4 9

    My school is part of this list and I’ve been involved in some capacity in a fair few of the schools on the list. What should be most clearly understood is that they are, in the main, high performing schools. Parents want their kids to go to Sunnybrae School or Kauri Park on the North Shore for example. These are schools, like mine, which have nothing to hide from this – in fact were the Standards workable and made sense, they would star in a league table or the like. Simply though they are good schools because they are thinking places, committed to children, who have considered what has been forced upon them and seen that it will add nothing and subtract a fair bit – not just from their schools but education in New Zealand. If they don’t stand up to this nonsense – on behalf of our children – who will?

    • lprent 9.1

      The same with my old school from decades ago that are in the list. It is/was a pretty good school both then and now (some of the kids from the family have gone through it more recently). We’ve had family on the school board and in the earlier parents association.

      If they haven’t taken it up after they have done a close inspection – then you can assume that the policy is shite and adds absolutely nothing or is a negative to the kids.

      My quick glance though the list of schools distaining from this daft policy shows that most of the names I know are in the same kind of league – pretty good schools with good teachers and active boards.

  10. toad 10

    NZ Herald are currently running an on-line poll: Do you have confidence in the National Standards requirements?

    Currently running 55% “No”.

  11. Tiger Mountain 11

    As I said months back NS is a classic slowburner and backside biter for National. Simon of Balmoral school has attracted some attention, well how about Taipa Area School in Te Tai Tokerau, one not on the list of NS refusers, Principal is Pateriki Toi a tory supporter and John Carter brown noser so go figure. Hopefully the BOT can be turned around there too. More power to the BOTs, I agree with CV above. The NZSTA seems a bankrupt Tolley support group.

  12. tc 12

    Gone from nanny state to ‘Do whatever the F we tell you’ state…..muldoon would be proud of his little proteges, they possess the atitiude but lack the intelligence and know how of their idols.

    • Colonial Viper 12.1

      muldoon would be proud of his little proteges

      I’m not so sure he would be proud. Although he went about it all the wrong ways he did try to make NZ a more industrialised nation, more technologically and energy self sufficient as well. He definitely had a plan and thought big *ahem*

      The current lot just suck. Almost worse than nothing.

      • KJT 12.1.1

        Muldoon was not all wrong. Although he turned out to be almost as much a disaster as Douglas, his motivations were to do his best for NZ.

        Douglas should be in jail for criminal negligence.

        Key is a charismatic mouthpiece handpicked by the banking sector to screw us over after Brash turned out out be unelectable. Muldoon would have told the bankers to f off.

    • ianmac 12.2

      True tc. “Don’t you dare ask why! Do as I tell you – or else!
      “But the research shows……”
      “Shutup you little stirrer. When I say do it, just do it with out questioning my God-given Authority. Got that?”

  13. ianmac 13

    Reading Recovery Report 2009/10
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10683801
    The early-intervention programme, in use since 1984, provides intensive, individual help to children who are falling behind in reading and writing after one-year at primary school.

    Education Minister Anne Tolley said Reading Recovery had proved effective in lifting student achievement. As a result it was an “integral part of the support offered to students identified through National Standards as needing extra help”.
    The cheeky lady! She is claiming that National Standards are responsible for a successful program which has been running for 26 years! You and I know that students are identified by running the “6 year old net” and other observations from dedicated teachers.

  14. Mark M 14

    Got any kids ROB.
    To many political hacks are entering this debate purely and simply from an anti National bias.
    The fact that children can leave school without achieving much seems to either bypass these people or they dont care.

    90% of Schools are supporting the standards so perhaps the parents who are anti standards could take their children to the striking schools.

    Will be interesting to see what the rolls are like in a couple of years time.

    • Colonial Viper 14.1

      The fact that children can leave school without achieving much seems to either bypass these people or they dont care.

      Well pretty much everyone agrees that having children in this situation is not acceptable.

      But NS is predicted to do NOTHING to improve this or the teaching of children in order to push up educational outcomes.

      That’s the crux.

  15. popeye 15

    @ Mark M…

    I love your blind acceptance of the claim Mary Chamberlain has made that 90% of Boards support the Standards just because 10% were in this group today. Checked out her claim mate…cause if you look a little closer you might find that it is a tad thin to assume that just because 10% of Boards came out today means 90% think the opposite. Lets think of a few possibilities for the 90%….
    1. Didn’t know about the group….didn’t get an invite
    2. Scared as hell of the bullying and sacking
    3. Deeply concerned but do not want to break the law
    4. Yet to meet to consider the initiative
    Do you want me to go on…..

    If 10% of all schools were gathered up by an informal network at grassroots level then imagine what this figure would look like if legimatized by some sector organisation.

    The paint ain’t dry on this one. If I were Tolley, I’d be worried…big time!

  16. NZ Groover 16

    As a parent I don’t understand how you would’nt want to know how your child is not meeting standards. No parent would call their child a failure and every parent would want to do everything they possibly could to help their child overcome any problems. I’d rather find out as soon as I possibly could if their was a problem.

    • Colonial Viper 16.1

      Teachers can tell if your child is struggling in class right now, and they can tell you right now. All without National Standards.

      National Standards are a distraction from helping that child.

      • NZ Groover 16.1.1

        How is telling me my child isn’t meeting standards a distraction. Your synopsis relies on the discretion of the teacher…….how do you measure that?

        • Colonial Viper 16.1.1.1

          Yeah what popeye said.

          • NZ Groover 16.1.1.1.1

            I’d rather hear your opinion

            • Colonial Viper 16.1.1.1.1.1

              Your synopsis relies on the discretion of the teacher…….how do you measure that?

              Dude, have you even stopped to ask if your prized ‘measure’ is valid OR reliable?

              And then have you stopped to ask, how useful is this measure in helping your child read and write better?

              Because NS fails on all counts.

              • NZ Groover

                I’m going to ask myself this question. Is NO measure”valid OR reliable”. Surely any measure is better than none……..at least it’ll prompt a discussion with the teacher on what’s best for my child.

                • Colonial Viper

                  Sheessh so you really don’t care whether this new fangled National Standards system has validity or not, has reliability or not?

                  Then you take the line of reasoning that ‘something is better than nothing’? (which is a FALSE position anyways as school systems already exist for monitoring a child’s performance).

                  I’ll tell you what, why don’t you save the MoEd and the schools a whole lot of time and money, and throw a pair of dice instead? If you get an odd number your child is doing ok and if you get an odd number your child is academically in trouble.

                  Or, why don’t you just talk to your child’s teacher on a regular basis anyway, why exactly do you need to wait for National Standards to instigate a discussion?

                  • NZ Groover

                    Back at you…..so you’re saying nothing is better than something? I want to know if my child isn’t meeting resonable standards……….and those standards aren’t as simplistic as you make out. And please don’t put words in my mouth…..I do speak to my childs teacher regularly (do you?). She’s a fantastic teacher and I’m sure any discussion we had re: national standards would only have positive outcomes.

                    • Colonial Viper

                      Hey if you speak to your child’s teacher “regularly” why do you say

                      at least it’ll prompt a discussion with the teacher on what’s best for my child.

                      So, you think National Standards is going to make you talk to the teacher even more regularly? That’s very interesting.

                      I’m sure any discussion we had re: national standards would only have positive outcomes.

                      You mean even better outcomes than you get now, talking with the teacher regularly (which you do even without National Standards)? How is that going to happen exactly?

                    • NZ Groover

                      I can’t reply to you CV so I guess I’ll have to reply to myself.

                      “Hey if you speak to your child’s teacher “regularly” why do you say at least it’ll prompt a discussion with the teacher on what’s best for my child.

                      WHAT’S YOUR POINT? WE’RE PROVIDED WITH MORE INFORMATION RE: MY CHILDS PERFORMANCE AND WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TAKE THE OPPRTUNITY TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE TEACHER?

                      So, you think National Standards is going to make you talk to the teacher even more regularly? That’s very interesting.

                      SO YOU’RE SAYING IT’S UNDESIRABLE TO TALK TO TEACHERS MORE REGULARLY

                      I’m sure any discussion we had re: national standards would only have positive outcomes.

                      You mean even better outcomes than you get now, talking with the teacher? How?

                      BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON HOW MY CHILD IS PERFORMING ON A NATIONAL BASIS. NOT JUST THEIR OPINION.

                      MAN I’M NOT TRYING TO HANG MY CHILDS TEACHER HERE! I JUST WANT TO WORK WITH THEM TO GET THE BEST OUTCOME POSSIBLE.

                      [lprent: don’t SHOUT. It is irritating, detracts from your argument, is invariably not required, and to a moderator looks like a troll or a spam bot screaming for attention which we give them by trashing their comment and banning.

                      Of course it is also a newbie trait. We prefer to warn them before treating them as malware to encourage them to give themselves a behavioral change. ]

                    • Colonial Viper

                      BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON HOW MY CHILD IS PERFORMING ON A NATIONAL BASIS

                      How can you call it having “more information” when you have no idea whether that information so going to be valid or reliable?

                      And not only that, you are actually willing to act on such “information”, even though it has no demonstrable validity or reliability?

                      well good luck with that, but to me National Standards simply adds no value. Why don’t you just talk to your teacher more, and guess what, you can do that without National Standards.

                    • lprent

                      Somewhere in my archives I have a pile of reports from primary and intermediate school that my mother cherished and eventually turned over to me. Even now 40 years later I can almost taste the sense of frustration in my various teachers as they invariably said “could do better” whilst rating my performance as being below par. Eventually i did get around to getting interested in academic stuff when it got more challenging.

                      My grandnieces still get these bits of paper. I can’t see any value to a parent in going through a massive exercise to correlate a teachers report with every other teachers report in the country to come out with a ‘standard’ that is still as arbitrary as a teachers opinion.

                      Please explain why you think that there us any value in this type of bureaucratic exercise?

                    • NZ Groover

                      @lprent. I didn’t realise CAPS were shouting, I just wanted to differentiate my responses from CV’s points. I’ll note this for furure comment.

                    • lprent []

                      Just quote around them or use italics (there is some material in the FAQ at the top).

                      To retype in caps is an exercise compared to a select copy/paste (Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V) or on most browsers select and right click to get a context menu.

    • popeye 16.2

      Totally agree but there are some BIG problems with these Standards..
      In short..
      1. They are not truthful…they are aspirational. In other words they are set at a level that does not reflect children’s normal achievement. That means that your child could come home with a report stating they are substandard when they are actual within the average range…here is one of the worst examples…in maths at Year 4 if you score 75% in a PAT test you are deemed below standard. The standards do not align with achievement norms in rigorous, scientifically constructed data tools.
      2. They are not National Standards. For a Standard to be National it must be interpreted the same by every teacher. To do this there must be massive moderation (comparing of where children’s samples are set against the Standard) in order for them to be precise and valid. There is NO MODERATION planned in these Standards so it really is just a guessing game. The upshot is that data generated and going into league tables is at best JUNK data.
      3. By setting one single achievement expectation for all children at the end of every year the Standards assume that you are substandard if the level is not reached. This is a ‘one size fits all’ approach to learning. The truth is that children perform quite normally across a range not at one point at one time. That approach drove schooling 40 years ago and we gave it up because teachers were teaching to the average and smart kids got bored and struggling kids fell further behind.

      These are all big issues. I say good on Boards for rejecting the Standards lemon. If we want to find out problems early to address them, then for gods sake avoid these Standards at all costs.

  17. Irascible 17

    My Grand-daughters are in schools that are boycotting the Tolley Standards . The schools are in solidly blue electorates as well.
    In view of the threat by the Ministry to put in Statutory Managers I think it would be a good idea for parents in the schools to start a letter writing campaign to the BoT endorsing their decision to not endorse badly conceived policies and to endorse their confidence in the existing measures used by the schools. Given a sufficient quantity of such letters the SMs would have to tread very carefully when dealing with the community the school is in.
    Tolley’s threats certainly demonstrate that the fascist state is with NZ in spades. Not nanny state but jackboot state.

Links to post

CommentsOpinions

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

FeedsPartyGovtMedia

  • In Open Seas; A Book

    The background to In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong:2017-2023Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand, published in 2020, proved more successful than either I or the publisher (VUP, now Te Herenga Waka University Press) expected. I had expected that it would ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    27 mins ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 13

    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 climate implications of the US Presidential elections; and special guests Janet ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    59 mins ago
  • Do or do not. There is no try

    1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 hours ago
  • Dangerous ground

    The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 hours ago
  • Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris

    In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 hours ago
  • Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’

    Treasury’s advice to Cabinet was that the new Government could actually prudently carry net core Crown debt of up to 50% of GDP. But Luxon and Willis instead chose to portray the Government’s finances as in such a mess they had no choice but to carve 6.5% to 7.5% off ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 hours ago
  • Is the Media Complicit?

    This is a long read. Open to all.SYNOPSIS: Traditional media is at a cross roads. There is a need for those in the media landscape, as it stands, to earn enough to stay afloat, but also come across as balanced and neutral to keep its audiences.In America, NYT’s liberal leaning ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    8 hours ago
  • Black Friday

    It's Black Friday, the end of the weekYou take my hand and hold it gently up against your cheekIt's all in my head, it's all in my mindI see the darkness where you see the lightSong by Tom OdellFriday the 13th, don’t be afraid.No, really, don’t. Everything has felt a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    9 hours ago
  • Weekly Roundup 13-September-2024

    Ooh, Friday the thirteenth. Spooky! Is that why certain zombie ideas have been stalking the landscape this week, like the Mayor’s brainwave for a motorway bridge from Kauri Point to Point Chev? Read on and find out. This roundup, like all our coverage, is brought to you by the Greater ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    10 hours ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2024

    Open access notables Early knowledge but delays in climate actions: An ecocide case against both transnational oil corporations and national governments, Hauser et al., Environmental Science & Policy: Cast within the wide context of investigating the collusion at play between powerful political-economic actors and decision-makers as monopolists and debates about ‘the modern ...
    23 hours ago
  • What it is

    I liked what Kieran McAnulty had to say about the Treaty Principles bill this morning so much I've written it down and copied it out for you. He was saying that rather than let this piece of ordure spend six months in Select Committee, the Prime Minister could stop making such ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • A government-funded hate campaign

    Cabinet discussed National's constitutionally and historically illiterate "Treaty Principles Bill" this week, and decided to push on with it. The bill will apparently receive a full six month select committee process - unlike practically every other policy this government has pushed, and despite the fact that if the government is ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • How Substack works to take (some) craziness out of America’s elections

    I spoke with Substack co-founder yesterday, just before the Trump-Harris debate, about how Substack is doing its thing during the US elections. He talks in particular about how Substack’s focus on paid subscriptions rather than ads has made political debate on the platform calmer, simpler, deeper and more satisfying ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 day ago
  • David Seymour is such a loser

    For paid subscribersNot content with siphoning off $230,000,000 of taxpayers money for his hobby projects - and telling everyone his passion is education and early childcare - an intersection painfully coincidental to the interests of wealthy private families like Sean Plunkett’s1 backers, the Wright Family, Seymour is back in the ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Cross-party consensus: there’s no pipeline without good faith

    There’s been a lot of talk recently about a cross-party agreement to develop a pipeline for infrastructure, including transport. Last month, outgoing CRL boss Sean Sweeney talked about the importance of securing an enduring infrastructure programme. He outlined the high costs of the relentless political flip-flopping of priorities, which drives ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    1 day ago
  • Voters love this climate policy they’ve never heard of

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The Inflation Reduction Act is the Biden administration’s signature climate law and the largest U.S. government investment in reducing climate pollution to date. Among climate advocates, the policy is well-known and celebrated, but beyond that, only a minority of Americans ...
    1 day ago
  • ACC wants to administer inflation at more than double the RBNZ’s target rate

    ACC levies are set to rise at more than double the inflation rate targeted by the RBNZ. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 12:The state-owned monopoly for accident insurance wants ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Harris vs Trump

    We’ve been selected to rock your asses 'til midnightThis is my term, I've shaved off my perm, but it's alrightI solemnly swear to uphold the ConstitutionGot a rock 'n' roll problem? Well we got a solutionLet us be who we am, and let us kick out the jams, yeahKick out ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Treaty Bill “a political stunt”

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative

    Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • National’s automated lie machine

    The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...

    Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Member’s Day

    Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • Northern Expressway Boondoggle

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has been soaring high with his hubris of getting on and building motorways but some uncomfortable realities are starting to creep in. Back in July he announced that the government was pushing on with a Northland Expressway using an “accelerated delivery strategy” The Coalition Government is ...
    2 days ago
  • Never Enough

    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    3 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    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
    3 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 ...
    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 ...
    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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    5 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
    5 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 ...
    5 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
    5 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
    5 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
    6 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
    6 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
    6 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
    7 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
    7 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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
    1 week 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 ...
    1 week 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 ...
    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. ...
    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 ...
    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

  • Need and value at forefront of public service delivery

    New Cabinet policy directives will ensure public agencies prioritise public services on the basis of need and award Government contracts on the basis of public value, Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says. “Cabinet Office has today issued a circular to central government organisations setting out the Government’s expectations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Minister to attend Police Ministers Council Meeting

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell will join with Australian Police Ministers and Commissioners at the Police Ministers Council meeting (PMC) today in Melbourne. “The council is an opportunity to come together to discuss a range of issues, gain valuable insights on areas of common interest, and different approaches towards law enforcement ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    9 hours 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    1 day 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    2 days 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    1 week ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-09-13T06:23:49+00:00