Search and Survey Our Loss of Human Rights

Written By: - Date published: 6:49 am, August 30th, 2010 - 38 comments
Categories: law and "order", police - Tags:

The Search and Surveillance Bill that was thrown back for re-drafting last year has very quietly come back.  And as awful as it was last time (not many Bills are sent back), this time it’s little different.

The idea of the Bill was perfectly valid – Search & Surveillance powers were spread unevenly across 70 pieces of legislation, without much consistency.  A tidy up made sense.  But what has eventuated is a massive land grab of rights.

There is a real smorgasbord of new powers given, without discrimination, to 70 different government agencies.  All agencies now get the same powers – be they the police, the Pork Board, the Meat Industry Board, the Overseas Investment Office, the powers authorised by the Wine Act or your local dog control (or anyone else authorised by Local Government).  Anybody who had any evidence gathering power now has every evidence gathering power.

– If they have a policy on strip-searching they may use it.  If they have suspicion they may conduct a warrantless search, and seize items of interest in plain view.

– They may hack into your computer and conduct fishing expeditions for crimes you may have committed.

– 24-hour video and audio surveillance (and any future sort of surveillance) gets classed the same as a search, making it much more easily authorised.  And where warrants are required they need not be obtained from a judge, but from a ‘registrar” or possibly a JP.

– Police trespass on private property?  It’ll now be fine.

Along with search and surveillance powers it introduces a new ‘Examination Order’.  This requires someone to report to the police for questioning and removes the right to silence.  The new version of the bill allows you to go before a judge to have them determine if you are incriminating yourself, thereby incriminating yourself…

Another new power will be Production Orders  this allows ‘enforcement officers’ to sit back and order you to produce documents that you have, or will have in future, on an on-going basis if they suspect that an offence has been committed.

Some will say that only those who have done something wrong need worry about this.  They would be wrong.

The Urewera raids showed that where powers are granted, they are used.  The many innocent families who were hounded around at gun-point by balaclava-clad police who ransacked their houses would disagree that they had done anything wrong, but they certainly needed to be worried.  As did unconnected innocent activists who had their homes visited by police the same day.

Others who have had police go through their property in the middle of the night due to an erroneous address would say that the compensation they might receive after fighting through the courts was not worth the intrusion to their privacy.

An innocent business owner who recently had to threaten to go to the newspapers so that police would give him his work computer (with important customer details) back would probably not like to see it be easier for police to seize ‘suspicious’ property.

We need to stop this bill, as it is an attack on our fundamental human rights.

As it’s all come back very quietly there’s only this week to make a submission.

But there is an opportunity for Wellingtonians tonight to express their displeasure in person to the Justice and Electoral Select Committee chair, Chester Burrows:

There’s a public meeting at 7pm in St. Josephs Church, Basin Reserve (just off Brougham St, Mt Vic).  Along with Chester Burrows, Michael Bott from the NZ Council for Civil Liberties will be speaking.

38 comments on “Search and Survey Our Loss of Human Rights ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. freedom 1
    30 August 2010 at 10:24 am

    I cannot get there myself but am informing everyone i know in Wellington to go. A few months back i had a hell of a time even convincing people it existed.

    Though even today, how few know of the bill when the media give it no coverage.

    Although i have not seen a printed paper today, the stuff site has nothing on it. here is the headline list from their politics pages, and zip, zilch, nada
    http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/politics/more_headlines

  2. Graeme Edgeler 2
    30 August 2010 at 10:36 am

    So much there, so much to correct…

    The Bill as currently written is different from the Bill as introduced. Still worrying, but not nearly as worrying as this piece makes out, and some of things listed as concerns here are vast improvements over the current law.

    1. Surveillance.

    Currently, anyone can do this. No warrant needed. As long is it doesn’t involve a trespass, the pork board can tail you, set up video surveillance from the House next dorr, use telephoto lenses etc. It’s completely unregulated. This bill regulates it. Now you’ll need a warrant.

    2. Production orders.

    These are given to agencies that already have search warrant powers. They are a less invasive form of them. Person X is making large money transfers, and the police suspect money laundering. At present, they get a search warrant and have the power to go and search a bank’s offices. Looking at whatever they find on the way. Now, they’ll get a production order, and say, please hand over Person X’s information from date A to date B. Much less invasive.

    Among many others.

    There is much to fight with this bill, but please focus on the problems with it, rather than the good things it does.

  3. just saying 3
    30 August 2010 at 10:38 am

    Nightmare stuff.

    Does anyone have any idea of how the parties would vote if the bill was introduced in its current form? I’d like to imagine that the Greens/Labour/Maori/Progressives would vehemently oppose it.

    If Act was true to its supposed civil-libertarian roots it would too, but obviously I’m not holding my breath.

    There is an alarming societal tolerance-cum-appetite for this kind of authoritarain shit at the moment, IMHO, and the public is being groomed via the media. The same people who railed against the “nanny-state” welcome the sinister comfort of the “daddy-state” with open arms.

    • Graeme Edgeler 3.1
      30 August 2010 at 11:05 am

      Most of the work on the Bill was done by the Labour Government. That is, there was the Law Commission report that made a number of recommendation. That report went through internal governmental process, with recommendations considered and rejected, etc, and a proposal went through cabinet, which agreed to them. Those decisions were then sent of the the Parliamentary Council Office, which started making them into bill form.

      This all occurred under Labour.

      The Bill that came out came under National, in the form agreed by the former government and was introduced by Simon Power, I think without amendment from the previous government’s proposals. The Greens opposed its first reading, and the Maori Party were voting one short, but everyone else supported it.

      • just saying 3.1.1
        30 August 2010 at 11:25 am

        Thanks for that Graeme.

        I had heard from posters here that the S@S bill was originally Goff’s baby, and found that very worrying. I had wondered if the cold shower of being in opposition, along with the chance to disown the bill now that Power seems to have taken it over, might have brought Labour and Anderton to their collective senses.

        Has there been any recent indication from them about their position on the bill?

        • Graeme Edgeler 3.1.1.1
          30 August 2010 at 12:02 pm

          The Cabinet Papers were signed off my then Minister of Justice Annette King.

          I believe Labour still supports it, while wanting to fix up some of the problems that were originally in the Bill (e.g. the extension of audio and video surveillance involving a trespass and phone tapping etc. to all bodies with search powers. Same with National. It’s not a partisan issue in Parliament.

          • Loota 3.1.1.1.1
            30 August 2010 at 7:15 pm

            Oh that’s just great. FFS can we have someone standing up for the citizenry for a change, instead of looking to grow the powers of the State into our everyday lives.

            • Rex Widerstrom 3.1.1.1.1.1
              30 August 2010 at 8:18 pm

              In my experience, the best party in any legislature for standing up against this stuff is the Greens. Who then ruin it by wanting to regulate what lighbulbs we can buy… and would probably go along with right of entry for lighbulb inspectors *sigh*

              Apparently a large number of people followed the advice of Mark Latham in his special report for “60 Minutes” just prior to the Australian election and posted a blank ballot (thus complying with Australia’s compulsory voting law).

              NZers seriously need to put aside our left / right “baby eating capitalist” / “baby factory dole bludger” differences for long enough to rein in our polticians before it’s too late and we disengage completely with the system.

              Since there is no party which truly supports personal freedom we need to agree some sort of truce whereby we vote for none of the bastards, thus destroying their claim to legitimacy. That’s the simplest solution.

              Or, my preferred solution would be to work together to purge every last “I know what’s best for you” trougher out of the place. Replace them with independents who’ve agreed to properly consult and listen before making their own decision, not doing what they’re “whipped” into doing in the hope of a cosy list spot. And then we can go back to our myriad differences, because then we’ll have a system capable of responding to, and accommodating them.

              Either way, if we’re just going to keep fooling ourselves that our preferred party isn’t about to seek to control us to suit their own ends, then we wholeheartedly deserve what’s coming, because no politician ever repealed a law without substituting a more punitive one. Sadly, though, we’re also visiting the nightmare on our children.

            • Hayden Peake 3.1.1.1.1.2
              1 September 2010 at 10:18 am

              Couldn’t agree with you more, Loota. I’m encouraged by the fact that there seems to be a broad opposition to this bill — authoritarianism needs to be opposed at every turn.

              Of course, it would help if we had the right to challenge legislation against a small body of superior law — ie, legislation that violates constitutional law (there seems to be a lot of potential for personal destruction without the lawful judgement of one’s peers in this bill), should be challengeable in the supreme court.

              And just for amusement value, the anti-spam word I had to type to post this was “watched” 🙂

  4. Tiger Mountain 4
    30 August 2010 at 11:03 am

    The SS Bill is a real shocker. Junior authoritarians in our midst from dog rangers to fishing inspectors will love the added opportunity to poke about in our lives. Few are more sanctimonious than a baggage handler/clerk/inspector with extra powers.

    A more significant concern though is the extended police powers and loss of right to silence. Even plain old kiwi neighbourhood curtain twitchers may soon get to experience what it is like to be snooped on. All it might take is exercising freedom of speech or assembly on say foreign ownership of land or animal rights, and whammo instant ‘person of interest’ to the authorities.

    Re digital files, keep your stuff on a remote server or securely stored removable drive if the SSB slimes in which is quite likely.

  5. pollywog 5
    30 August 2010 at 11:43 am

    COME GET ME FUCKERS !!!

    …but on a serious note, i reckon i could find out more and get more dirt than Big Bro’ could find out, faster and cheaper, just by befriending someone on facebook and asking them about themselves.

    only thing is, i’m not on facebook, don’t tweet or instant message, have a general mistrust of social media and much prefer pseudonimity.

    It’s not that i’ve anything to hide, it’s just i’m not that interesting 🙂

    • Bored 5.1
      30 August 2010 at 1:26 pm

      I like your challenging approach, if this goes through I will see you in the basement of some random government department being “questioned” about illegally taking flowers to granny or similar. Whole thing is so bloody small minded.

      • pollywog 5.1.1
        30 August 2010 at 2:42 pm

        I’m all for CCTV everywhere too.

        Only let’s make it public access and pay bludgers a reward, based on convictions, to sit around all day scanning for crime.

        I’d also expand Parliament TV to all ministers/MP’s offices and meeting places for sub commitee hearings and require their phone conversations and e- mails be public access.

        If they got nothing to hide they got nothing to fear … right ?

    • Rex Widerstrom 5.2
      30 August 2010 at 8:28 pm

      i reckon i could find out more and get more dirt than Big Bro’ could find out, faster and cheaper, just by befriending someone on facebook and asking them about themselves.

      And you think “Big Brother” isn’t doing this already?! We see the tip of the iceberg… police officers who should be out in the community protecting citizens paid to sit in an office all day pretending to be a teenage girl and entrapping idiots into offences they’d probably never have the guts to do if it wasn’t for the encouragement of the officer.

      But beneath that there is a lot of other illegal (but only in some countries… in the US now anything goes) information gathering going on. It even has a name: Social Hacking.

      It’s common in industrial espionage too. Why break into a secure office building andf try to decrypt files when a spotty young geek will tell a hot girl he’s met on Facebook what he’s working on to try and impress her?

      It always prods my cynicism nerve when I see governments spending money to “warn children about online cyber predators” when it is government agencies and large corporations who are the most predatory presences on the net.

  6. Bill 6
    30 August 2010 at 12:29 pm

    I’m reckoning the most pernicious aspect of this bill will be the fact that it wont even have to be used much to have an effect.

    Currently, I could rattle off countless examples of where people have self policed in the mistaken belief that what they were about to do was illegal or unlawful or otherwise held the potential to ‘get them into trouble’.

    And where over zealous wee authoritarians have over stepped the mark and gotten away with it because the person being stepped on made a whole pile of incorrect assumptions.

    And where an innocent comment made by someone not directly involved in a matter has introduced fear, uncertainty and doubt into a situation and curtailed action.

    Whereas a lot of the examples I’d draw on to illustrate the points above would be from various protest actions or challenges to authority, there is another level of acquiescence that is encouraged by the constant mantra that ‘innocent people have nothing to fear’.

    Know how when the traffic lights are still on red but there’s no traffic, yet some people stand and wait for the pedestrian’s green light? Or how some workers feel a need to ask the bosses permission to do just about anything? Or how people won’t complain about being ripped off or done over? Or won’t step up to intervene in a situation where someone is abusing another or others?

    All Sam Lowry’s from Terry Gilliam’s Brazil.

    They wouldn’t want to be seen to be stepping out of line now, would they? ‘Cause only ‘bad’ people rock the boat. Only ‘bad’ people don’t follow the dotted line. And ‘bad’ people are watched. And ‘bad’ people have something to fear. And so better this discountable ‘good’ fear born of striving to not be bad, than the burden of persistent, nagging ‘bad’ fear. And besides, the authorities are keeping an eye on things and know the difference between a Buttle and a Tuttle. Right?

    • Vicky32 6.1
      31 August 2010 at 5:30 pm

      “Know how when the traffic lights are still on red but there’s no traffic, yet some people stand and wait for the pedestrian’s green light?”
      In Auckland, that’s called self-preservation, as some speeding plonker in an SUV can come barrelling out of nowhere in the blink of an eye… No traffic doesn’t mean a thing here, where people do 110kph outside schools at 3.00 pm secure in the knowledge that they’ll get away with it, and if they hit a kid the talkback rabble will blame the victims…(half of all talkback listeners being truckies on the road, judging by when I used to listen.)
      Deb

  7. Bored 7
    30 August 2010 at 1:31 pm

    Police trespass on private property? Does this mean that search warrants will not be required, that they can come right on in and question you in your own lounge?

    If we quietly give away “access” today will they want “habeus corpus” changed tomorrow?

    What worries me about insidious legislation is that the real reason it is required never sees the light of day until post event. What the F is the real purpose of this ?

    • Bill 7.1
      30 August 2010 at 1:58 pm

      “What the F is the real purpose of this ?”

      Not the sole reason. But to encourage a culture of self surveillance and acquiescence to societal norms as determined by society’s centres of authority.

      You got something illegal sitting around your home? Maybe enough home-grown for personal use for example? Or maybe you have something on your computer that you’d rather authorities didn’t access?

      Up until now, the only threat would have been a plod with a warrant. And as long as your nose was relatively clean, then you had no worries.

      But now a plod can bowl right on in and have you for that plant. And embark on whole episodes of questioning and accusing over something you wrote on your computer or whatever.

      So fear will encourage you to throw away the plant and self censor in other areas.

      That’s the purpose….a purpose.

      edit. Pollywogs ‘Come get me fuckers!’ attitude would, if everyone followed suit, see this legislation wind up as useless. But chances are that people will tend to hide away instead of getting out whatever closet it is they’ve locked themselves away in.

      • Vicky32 7.1.1
        31 August 2010 at 5:39 pm

        I honestly had a nightmare about this – trying to hide my mobile from the Plods – scary stuff!
        Deb

  8. M 8
    30 August 2010 at 1:51 pm

    ‘only thing is, i’m not on facebook, don’t tweet or instant message, have a general mistrust of social media and much prefer pseudonimity.’

    Exactly – blogging will probably get me into enough trouble.

    All this cyber stuff could end up very toxic for some. You need not look further than people who go on to internet dating sites – there’s no telling what you could be connecting with. I think most humans next context or background to suss someone out properly, as in where they work, socialise and what their reputation is amongst family, friends and community – warts and all. No way can this be ascertained over the Net and we humans need body language to really get the measure of someone.

    Increased powers for the pocket Hitlers who push the state’s agenda will have Garth creaming himself

  9. pollywog 9
    30 August 2010 at 2:49 pm

    Worst thing blogging can do, is create a delusional sense of self worth ending in becoming something akin to whaleoil or some dipshit might step to you for saying something ‘provocative’ online

    Some people take this shit far too seriously 🙂

  10. jbanks 10
    30 August 2010 at 3:19 pm

    Only criminals have to worry about this. So I’m not surprised with the outcry here.

    • The Voice of Reason 10.1
      30 August 2010 at 4:18 pm

      So jwanks, are you saying that the sysadmin, authors and commentors here are criminals? Think carefully before you answer.

      • jbanks 10.1.1
        30 August 2010 at 5:00 pm

        Am I wrong to think that many people here use marijuana and/or force against a child for the purposes of correction? (Both illegal acts)

        • Rex Widerstrom 10.1.1.1
          30 August 2010 at 8:33 pm

          Speaking for myself, no and no. Hate smoking anything, have never even had a cigarette. Raised four happy children. Nor do I have a criminal record of any sort. I’m as clean and pure as Garth McVicar and David Garrett combined (now there’s a mental image).

          So by your reasoning, that makes everything I’ve said against this Bill and the general culture of surveillance completely valid then.

          jbanks, King of the Non Sequitur.

        • Armchair Critic 10.1.1.2
          30 August 2010 at 10:10 pm

          Count me out for both of those. I do support decriminalisation, though I would still not use marijuana if it were decriminalised.

  11. just saying 11
    30 August 2010 at 4:01 pm

    That’s right dear, big daddy only wants what’s best for good boys and girls like you.

    • just saying 11.1
      30 August 2010 at 5:16 pm

      Just to clarify for all the grown-ups out there. As can be seen from the time of the above post, I was responding to little J’s first post (10). The little tyke slipped in his next post (10.1.1) afterwards.

      You’d better be careful J, ’cause you know what happens to naughty boys and girls!

      • jbanks 11.1.1
        30 August 2010 at 5:26 pm

        When you respond to someone try clicking “reply”. Moron.

        • bbfloyd 11.1.1.1
          30 August 2010 at 8:18 pm

          J..just between you and me, i’m really glad we don’t have webcam facilities on this site. what you’ve been doing would be hard to watch..

  12. Lew 12
    30 August 2010 at 6:55 pm

    … and then when they inevitably get enough evidence to charge you with something, you’re not guaranteed a jury trial.

    L

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    Muriel Newman writes – The Coalition Government says it is moving with speed to deliver campaign promises and reverse the damage done by Labour. One of their key commitments is to “defend the principle that New Zealanders are equal before the law.” To achieve this, they have pledged they “will not advance ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    20 hours ago

  • An impermanent public service is a guarantee of very little else but failure
    Chris Trotter writes –  The absence of anything resembling a fightback from the public servants currently losing their jobs is interesting. State-sector workers’ collective fatalism in the face of Coalition cutbacks indicates a surprisingly broad acceptance of impermanence in the workplace. Fifty years ago, lay-offs in the thousands ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    21 hours ago

  • What happens after the war – Mariupol
    Mariupol, on the Azov Sea coast, was one of the first cities to suffer almost complete destruction after the start of the Ukraine War started in late February 2022. We remember the scenes of absolute destruction of the houses and city structures. The deaths of innocent civilians – many of ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    22 hours ago

  • Babies and benefits – no good news
    Lindsay Mitchell writes – Ten years ago, I wrote the following in a Listener column: Every year around one in five new-born babies will be reliant on their caregivers benefit by Christmas. This pattern has persisted from at least 1993. For Maori the number jumps to over one in three.  ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    22 hours ago

  • Should the RBNZ be looking through climate inflation?
    Climate change is expected to generate more and more extreme events, delivering a sort of structural shock to inflation that central banks will have to react to as if they were short-term cyclical issues. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMy pick of the six newsey things to know from Aotearoa’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago

  • Bernard's pick 'n' mix of the news links
    The top six news links I’ve seen elsewhere in the last 24 hours, as of 9:16 am on Thursday, April 18 are:Housing: Tauranga residents living in boats, vans RNZ Checkpoint Louise TernouthHousing: Waikato councillor says wastewater plant issues could hold up Sleepyhead building a massive company town Waikato Times Stephen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    23 hours ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the public sector carnage, and misogyny as terrorism
    It’s a simple deal. We pay taxes in order to finance the social services we want and need. The carnage now occurring across the public sector though, is breaking that contract. Over 3,000 jobs have been lost so far. Many are in crucial areas like Education where the impact of ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    24 hours ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Gareth’s WorldBy admin
    5 days ago

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Comprehensive Partnership the goal for NZ and the Philippines
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  The Prime Minister was accompanied by MP Paulo Garcia, the first Filipino to be elected to a legislature outside the Philippines. During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon and President Marcos Jr discussed opportunities to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    10 hours ago

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

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

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

  • Government backing mussel spat project
    The Coalition Government is investing in a project to boost survival rates of New Zealand mussels and grow the industry, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones has announced. “This project seeks to increase the resilience of our mussels and significantly boost the sector’s productivity,” Mr Jones says. “The project - ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    19 hours ago

  • Government focused on getting people into work
    Benefit figures released today underscore the importance of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “Benefit numbers are still significantly higher than when National was last in government, when there was about 70,000 fewer ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    22 hours ago

  • Clean energy key driver to reducing emissions
    The Government’s commitment to doubling New Zealand’s renewable energy capacity is backed by new data showing that clean energy has helped the country reach its lowest annual gross emissions since 1999, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) published today, shows gross emissions fell ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    23 hours ago

  • Earthquake-prone buildings review brought forward
    The Government is bringing the earthquake-prone building review forward, with work to start immediately, and extending the deadline for remediations by four years, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Our Government is focused on rebuilding the economy. A key part of our plan is to cut red tape that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago

  • Thailand and NZ to agree to Strategic Partnership
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and his Thai counterpart, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, have today agreed that New Zealand and the Kingdom of Thailand will upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership by 2026. “New Zealand and Thailand have a lot to offer each other. We have a strong mutual desire to build ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Government consults on extending coastal permits for ports
    RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Transport Minister Simeon Brown have today announced the Coalition Government’s intention to extend port coastal permits for a further 20 years, providing port operators with certainty to continue their operations. “The introduction of the Resource Management Act in 1991 required ports to obtain coastal ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Inflation coming down, but more work to do
    Today’s announcement that inflation is down to 4 per cent is encouraging news for Kiwis, but there is more work to be done - underlining the importance of the Government’s plan to get the economy back on track, acting Finance Minister Chris Bishop says. “Inflation is now at 4 per ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • School attendance restored as a priority in health advice
    Refreshed health guidance released today will help parents and schools make informed decisions about whether their child needs to be in school, addressing one of the key issues affecting school attendance, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. In recent years, consistently across all school terms, short-term illness or medical reasons ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Unnecessary bureaucracy cut in oceans sector
    Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones is streamlining high-level oceans management while maintaining a focus on supporting the sector’s role in the export-led recovery of the economy. “I am working to realise the untapped potential of our fishing and aquaculture sector. To achieve that we need to be smarter with ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago

  • Patterson promoting NZ’s wool sector at International Congress
    Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson is speaking at the International Wool Textile Organisation Congress in Adelaide, promoting New Zealand wool, and outlining the coalition Government’s support for the revitalisation the sector.    "New Zealand’s wool exports reached $400 million in the year to 30 June 2023, and the coalition Government ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Removing red tape to help early learners thrive
    The Government is making legislative changes to make it easier for new early learning services to be established, and for existing services to operate, Associate Education Minister David Seymour says. The changes involve repealing the network approval provisions that apply when someone wants to establish a new early learning service, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • RMA changes to cut coal mining consent red tape
    Changes to the Resource Management Act will align consenting for coal mining to other forms of mining to reduce barriers that are holding back economic development, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The inconsistent treatment of coal mining compared with other extractive activities is burdensome red tape that fails to acknowledge ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • McClay reaffirms strong NZ-China trade relationship
    Trade, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has concluded productive discussions with ministerial counterparts in Beijing today, in support of the New Zealand-China trade and economic relationship. “My meeting with Commerce Minister Wang Wentao reaffirmed the complementary nature of the bilateral trade relationship, with our Free Trade Agreement at its ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Prime Minister Luxon acknowledges legacy of Singapore Prime Minister Lee
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today paid tribute to Singapore’s outgoing Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.   Meeting in Singapore today immediately before Prime Minister Lee announced he was stepping down, Prime Minister Luxon warmly acknowledged his counterpart’s almost twenty years as leader, and the enduring legacy he has left for Singapore and South East ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • PMs Luxon and Lee deepen Singapore-NZ ties
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. While in Singapore as part of his visit to South East Asia this week, Prime Minister Luxon also met with Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and will meet with Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.  During today’s meeting, Prime Minister Luxon ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Antarctica New Zealand Board appointments
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has made further appointments to the Board of Antarctica New Zealand as part of a continued effort to ensure the Scott Base Redevelopment project is delivered in a cost-effective and efficient manner.  The Minister has appointed Neville Harris as a new member of the Board. Mr ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Finance Minister travels to Washington DC
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis will travel to the United States on Tuesday to attend a meeting of the Five Finance Ministers group, with counterparts from Australia, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.  “I am looking forward to meeting with our Five Finance partners on how we can work ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Pet bonds a win/win for renters and landlords
    The coalition Government has today announced purrfect and pawsitive changes to the Residential Tenancies Act to give tenants with pets greater choice when looking for a rental property, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Pets are important members of many Kiwi families. It’s estimated that around 64 per cent of New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Long Tunnel for SH1 Wellington being considered
    State Highway 1 (SH1) through Wellington City is heavily congested at peak times and while planning continues on the duplicate Mt Victoria Tunnel and Basin Reserve project, the Government has also asked NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) to consider and provide advice on a Long Tunnel option, Transport Minister Simeon Brown ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns Iranian strikes
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have condemned Iran’s shocking and illegal strikes against Israel.    “These attacks are a major challenge to peace and stability in a region already under enormous pressure," Mr Luxon says.    "We are deeply concerned that miscalculation on any side could ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Huge interest in Government’s infrastructure plans
    Hundreds of people in little over a week have turned out in Northland to hear Regional Development Minister Shane Jones speak about plans for boosting the regional economy through infrastructure. About 200 people from the infrastructure and associated sectors attended an event headlined by Mr Jones in Whangarei today. Last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Health Minister thanks outgoing Health New Zealand Chair
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti has today thanked outgoing Health New Zealand – Te Whatu Ora Chair Dame Karen Poutasi for her service on the Board.   “Dame Karen tendered her resignation as Chair and as a member of the Board today,” says Dr Reti.  “I have asked her to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Roads of National Significance planning underway
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