SFO exonerates NZ First

Written By: - Date published: 5:51 pm, September 29th, 2020 - 56 comments
Categories: national, nz first, political parties, Politics, winston peters - Tags:

The SFO has put out a press release a few days before overseas voting starts. This was in

They have not laid charges against NZ First or anyone in it – excluding comprehensively…. It isn’t…

…a Minister, sitting MP, or candidate in the upcoming election (or a member of their staff), or a current member of the New Zealand First party.

I suspect that someone has been pointing out the civil law consequences of doing anything less….

They have laid charges…

The SFO has filed a charge of ‘Obtaining by Deception’ against two defendants in the New Zealand First Foundation electoral funding case. The charges were filed on 23 September.

The defendants have interim name suppression and so cannot be named or identified at this time.

I’d emphasise that the last sentence means that if you try to speculate about who the defendants here in any manner beyond what is said in the SFO statement, then I’m going to ban you for 3 years. That is our local law. Despite the curious association between “two defendants” and “New Zealand First Foundation” in that statement, there is nothing to indicate that there is a employment association between those two.

This result is what I was expecting back in April. Essentially the electoral donation laws in NZ are wide enough to shove several buses through side by side.

People may not like that, but the way to deal with that is express your contempt for all parties that do this kind of crap. National in particular are notorious for the use of external foundations who deal with donations. But currently doing this kind of influence peddling was part of what the Electoral Finance Act was designed to diminish back in 2007.

I’m sure that many of the hypocrites who decried that attempt at controlling political donations and influencing back then will be the most voracious on this decision. They were those in the forefront of removing that Act in 2008, and never creating anything to effectively diminish the problem.

Winston Peters rightfully points at this second legal run by political opponents against him and his party using the police and SFO as being a legal travesty. It was unfortunately lawful.

Personally I think that the complainants need to be looked at for deliberately wasting Electoral Commission, Police and SFO time and resources. I’d like to see the complainant(s) see charges of that against themselves to constrain another round of this kind of poor behaviour.

What does worry me is that it took so long for the police and SFO to deal with this. Coming out with results mere days before the voting starts feels to me to be a political interference in its own right.

BTW: I don’t like NZ First or most of it’s policies. However I also find the kind of political tripping that was so characteristic of the era of Dirty Politics to be more dangerous.

56 comments on “SFO exonerates NZ First ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. James 1
    29 September 2020 at 6:02 pm

    The SFO has total freedom to persue or not persue any case they want to, at the discretion of the current director, so the 'wasting time' response doesn't really hold water.

    I would hesitate about calling this an exonoration, in fact I'd argue deeply against it – just because NZF's activities were not covered by the law to the extend that the SFO could charge them, they absolutely benefitted from a foundation which has had charges brought against it. Think of it, if you like, as a political party getting a donation from a criminal.

    If you look at the people who were donating to the Foundation, and some of NZF's policy 'wins', a pattern emerges. They removed the betting levy against the express and outspoken opposition of the responsible governemnt department, the Attourney General derided the 'Manifesto Commitments' part of the Provincial Growth Fund as being an opaque 'fund within a fund' which opened the door for all kinds of abuse, and with that fund, they supported a race track in Christcurch, whose beneficiaries directly donated to them.

    You are right in one respect that this will only be solved through legislation and not the courts, but it is worthwhile to keep in mind that the SFO only charges if they believe they can almost certainly win. Even if a preponderance of evidence would be enough to file against Peters or NZF in general, unless it was an overwhelming amount, they would be unlikely to file charges.

    So it is absolutely valid to examine this case and call out NZF as being corrupt and unethical.

    • lprent 1.1
      29 September 2020 at 6:53 pm

      So it is absolutely valid to examine this case and call out NZF as being corrupt and unethical.

      Only if you also call out National in exactly the same manner for this

      https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12309443

      Or for their previous and probably current 'lawful' foundations for harvesting donations. If you are confused by that statement, then I'm sure taht you will be enlightened.

      Or Act for their foundations for harvesting donations.

      BTW: I've let this and a couple of other comments through. Do you have a ban at present?

      [lprent: opps – clean up my own bad paste. ]

      • James 1.1.1
        29 September 2020 at 6:58 pm

        Oh, I do absolutely agree. National are unethical and corrupt in how they handle donations and fundraising. Probably legal, but absolutely unethical and corrupt.

        I mean, pretty much any use of a Trust for political donations should be viewed, in my opinion, as unethical, as it fundamentally serves to hide and distract from links between policy and payment.

        edit No, I don’t have a ban. Just happen to be working on a whole written piece on the NZF stuff (after another piece on the JLR stuff) and broke my own usual ‘no blog commenting’ policy

        • lprent 1.1.1.1
          29 September 2020 at 7:09 pm

          …broke my own usual ‘no blog commenting’ policy

          I didn't remember one.

          • James 1.1.1.1.1
            29 September 2020 at 7:12 pm

            No, as in, I, myself, the person called James, have a personal policy usually that I don't comment on blogs. Which I broke to talk about this particular story 'cos I happened to be working on the subject matter, which is why I'm not like, a regular commenter, does that make sense?

            I've been writing all day my brain is mush.

        • Draco T Bastard 1.1.1.2
          29 September 2020 at 7:46 pm

          I mean, pretty much any use of a Trust for political donations should be viewed, in my opinion, as unethical, as it fundamentally serves to hide and distract from links between policy and payment.

          I still say that no legal entity should be able to give to political parties. By legal entity I mean any form of business, union, trust or anything else that is legally registered in any way, shape or form.

          As you say, such giving is inherently corrupt as it hides its purpose.

          EDIT:
          I’d also like to see a maximum donation of $1000 per person per year. Force the parties to become mass member parties again.

      • Incognito 1.1.2
        29 September 2020 at 10:29 pm

        This “James” is different from the other notorious “James”, who is not having a ban at present.

        • James 1.1.2.1
          29 September 2020 at 10:43 pm

          I am very confused and am questioning my own existance now.

          • Incognito 1.1.2.1.1
            29 September 2020 at 10:54 pm

            There is another regular commenter with the same user name as you who likes to raise the ire of other commenters and draw the attention of Moderators here and who is occasionally rewarded with a ban.

            As far as I can tell, you have commented once before here on this site on 17th April 2019 and you used a different user name. If you had used that one again today, we would not be having this conversation 😉

            If you wish, and if you can recall, I can change your today’s comments to carrying that previous user name and hopefully all confusion will dissipate.

  2. weka 2
    29 September 2020 at 6:03 pm

    do you think the timing was delayed? Or it's because of the change in election date?

    • lprent 2.1
      29 September 2020 at 6:20 pm

      As RNZ pointed out

      Back in April, the SFO said it was on track to make a call before this year's election on whether to lay charges in relation to the investigation into the NZ First Foundation, which had been bankrolling the NZ First Party.

      Personally I'd say that it is suggestive that they actually managed make a public announcement 10 days after the expected election date of September 19th, and only managed to charge someone 4 days after that date suggestive.

      Sure, I can't prove that this timing was deliberate. But if you look at this as being a political move, then it does seem like the optimum time to let it trail out to.

      Certainly, it is suggestive enough that I'd like to leave that suspicion of payback of some form hanging over the SFO – who haven't exactly been loved by Peters in the past. Even if it was a (convenient?) coincidence – then I'm afraid that "no comment" by the SFO isn't going to be enough to allay my suspicion about their motives.

    • Anne 2.2
      29 September 2020 at 6:45 pm

      Covid would have had something to do with it.

      • lprent 2.2.1
        29 September 2020 at 7:23 pm

        I don't think so. based on the known allegations most of this would have been a 'paperwork' (mostly a computer) trail rather than a lot of interviewing. It is rather hard to see how it could have caused a delay

    • lprent 3.1
      29 September 2020 at 6:22 pm

      From that link I liked…

      New Zealand First has instructed its lawyers to take legal action against the SFO, seeking declarations the agency has abused its statutory powers.

      Even if what they did was within the their lawful bounds, then I think that there is a case that individuals there need to answer.

  4. millsy 4
    29 September 2020 at 6:17 pm

    What about the two people charged?

    Im confused?

    I know it doesn't take much to confuse me, but still….

    • James 4.1
      29 September 2020 at 6:19 pm

      They have interim name suppression – likely not for long – but because of this publicly speculating on who they are is a violation of that court order.

    • Pat 4.2
      29 September 2020 at 6:23 pm

      [deleted]

      [lprent: You are making presumptive speculation. Do you want to be banned? ]

      • James 4.2.1
        29 September 2020 at 6:27 pm

        Mods, just to be extra careful, this technically violates the name suppression, Pat is speculating the relationship between the charged individuals and the New Zealand First Foundation and Party, which is outside the bounds of what information was released by the SFO

      • RosieLee 4.2.2
        29 September 2020 at 6:36 pm

        [deleted]

        [lprent: ditto. ]

      • Pat 4.2.3
        29 September 2020 at 6:44 pm

        beg your pardon?….there was nothing there that wasnt less than an hour expressed on RNZ and is still available

        • lprent 4.2.3.1
          29 September 2020 at 6:55 pm

          Read exactly what they say more carefully. They are also being very careful.

          • Pat 4.2.3.1.1
            29 September 2020 at 7:17 pm

            I have.

            It says

            'The NZ First Foundation only exists because the NZ First Party Board decided to set it up , and to set it running , so its very hard to say how these two things can be seperate when the NZ First Party, it decided it wanted to set this thing up and then the NZ First Party benefited from the NZ First Foundation paying its bills"

            • lprent 4.2.3.1.1.1
              29 September 2020 at 7:29 pm

              On a superficial level that may be correct.

              On a legal level because of the separation or legal entities you'd have to show clear control to go past what was in the authorising documents.

              But at a more basic level – that you are clearly being too dense to understand. – you'd also have to show me that the two people charged had anything to do with the NZ First Foundation.

              To do so would inherently involve you and me in a direct violation of a court order. That is what I meant when I said presumption. The statement from the SFO did not state who the individuals charged were or how they were associated with the investigation.

              I trust that you now understand this is that last time I will point this out to you.

    • lprent 4.3
      29 September 2020 at 6:32 pm

      I think that the ambiguity could be a result of the court orders about employment. However I'd point out that in the post-National party fallout for Jami Lee Ross was fraud charges against him and three (presumed) donors. The latter was presumably because the donors were assessed as knowingly doing an unlawful act by the charging authority.

      It doesn’t even have to have anything to do with the NZ First Foundation because it could be someone claiming to act for them

      There is literally no way here to know, speculate, or opine until the court orders are lifted. "Obtaining by deception" could be anything in a chain of behaviour from con artists purporting to act for someone to almost anything else.

      Offhand I can think of a number of possible scenarios. So speculating on who it might have been charged is not going to happen here.

      • Pat 4.3.1
        29 September 2020 at 6:43 pm

        To quote Andrew Geddes (in the RNZ link)…"I don't buy it"

        Plausible deniability by design

        • lprent 4.3.1.1
          29 September 2020 at 7:06 pm

          Of course it is. That really isn't a question. What the SFO had to look at was "is how it is designed lawful?".

          Unfortunately that is the case. Just as the Waitemata Foundation was. Many tax avoidance schemes are. The legalised murder in the armed forces is. That the way police shootings are justified. That doctors get away with murder by neglect often is. The way that ACC makes their payment decisions often is.

          These are just a series of things that I know are lawful, but which could easily be construed as being immoral by many who comment here.

          However we express our collective decision on these by the actual legislation we put in place.

          If you want to change any of these then that is a political move. That you can express here.

          Just wanting to violate court orders by inference or presumption is something that you can't do here. You can of course follow the the method of the last paragraph of our About.

          But you'd note at the bottom of the site who is authorising what is said on this site…

    • McFlock 4.4
      29 September 2020 at 7:14 pm

      two defendants in the New Zealand First Foundation electoral funding case.

      My italics.

      Cases can be wide-ranging, and when you start turning over rocks you might find stuff other than what you were specifically looking for. Could be nearly anyone for anything, except anyone in NZ1.

  5. Gareth Wilson 5
    29 September 2020 at 6:18 pm

    I'd advise Winston Peters to explain who "Comey" is before describing something as "Comey-level".

  6. Anne 6
    29 September 2020 at 6:55 pm

    What I find gob-smacking is Collins' announcement today of a huge increase to the SFO's funding… in order to fight corruption.

    Judy dear,

    Have you forgotten the corruption committed by several National administrations going back to the Waitemata Trust in the 1970s? Have you forgotten the revelations, courtesy of Nicky Hager, only 5 or so years ago? No, you haven't forgotten the latter because you're now attempting to rewrite history by projecting the guilt back onto Hager!

  7. observer 7
    29 September 2020 at 7:06 pm

    It doesn't exonerate them. No Right Turn and Andrew Geddis are closer to the mark.

    As I said on Open Mike, the timing is the worst. That's a legitimate complaint. But a separate issue.

    • lprent 7.1
      29 September 2020 at 7:17 pm

      I just used the phrase that Peters did. I suspect that he meant it as ironically as I did. Our legal system inherently relies both presumption of innocence and an permanent assumption of possible guilt.

      I'd also point out that by their definition (and for that matter the legal basis for not laying charges) it is literally impossible to exonerate anyone. Police assume that everyone is guilty of something – because they usually are. However the actual test is if there is enough evidence to convict of some particular offence. That is a far harder test

      Hell, if someone was under investigation for a murder that they hadn't committed, then they would still wind up as being in a state of "insufficient evidence to charge". Exoneration doesn’t exist in our legal system.

  8. James 8
    29 September 2020 at 7:23 pm

    As a related note, it would seem to me that the Serious Fraud Office, through this and the other cases being brought, is seeking for the courts to clarify and set in precedent some hazy aspects of the law. For example, the degree to which party officials and recievers of donations are obligated to investigate their donors for potential donation splitting. There is currently no legal guidance on how thoroughly a party secretary must investigate companies donating to the party to see if any of them are owned by the same individual. With luck, the fact that these laws are so muddy will prompt the next term of parliament to fix and make the laws more clear and improve transparency.

  9. Ad 9
    29 September 2020 at 7:26 pm

    With the SFO investigations into Labour and National still ongoing, the SFO would be shown as egregiously biased against New Zealand First if those investigations were released after polls close.

    • James 9.1
      29 September 2020 at 7:33 pm

      The SFO investigation into National is not ongoing – they have made and annoucned the charges. I don't know what stage the Labour one is.

      • lprent 9.1.1
        29 September 2020 at 7:39 pm

        Yes, and National are just as “not guilty” as NZ First are, for what look to be exactly the same reasons. Insufficient evident to be able to convict.

        The Labour one will certainly wind up the same way.

        As I said earlier – the legal basis of political donations is wide enough to drive several buses through. Personally I think that the only realistic way to effectively deal with it is to make it illegal to make donations to political parties or politicians.

        Of course that solution does open its own can of worms.

        • James 9.1.1.1
          29 September 2020 at 7:42 pm

          Nah, the only realistic way to deal with it is to tax all the people with enough money to donate to parties to the point where they can't afford to any more!

          • Barfly 9.1.1.1.1
            29 September 2020 at 8:54 pm

            Wow what a splendid idea! Oh wow you are taking the piss? Oh gee never mind 🙂

            • James 9.1.1.1.1.1
              29 September 2020 at 10:45 pm

              Only half taking the piss to be honest. Influence peddling is intrinsically linked to wealth – as long as there are wealth interests (as in people or groups of people with high wealth and specific policy interests regarding that wealth and control of it and its sources) there will be attempts to gain undue influence. Democracy is incompatible with Capitalism without corruption.

      • Ad 9.1.2
        29 September 2020 at 8:19 pm

        Charges were laid in the National case, but I wasn't aware that the trial had completed. Is that the case?

        • James 9.1.2.1
          29 September 2020 at 10:47 pm

          "Investigation is ongoing" means that the SFO are trying to discover information. Right now in the National case they've found everything they need to and are just arguing in court. It is the same situation the NZFF stuff is in: they have completed the investigation, and now move on to prosecuting based on the information gathered.

  10. Pat 10
    29 September 2020 at 7:58 pm

    "Peters' party also unsuccessfully attempted to injunct the SFO from revealing it had laid charges over the foundation until after the October 17 election, newly released court documents show."

    https://www.newsroom.co.nz/two-charged-over-nz-first-foundation-donations

  11. Chris T 11
    29 September 2020 at 8:27 pm

    It is an aside and apologies if it is off-topic, but the SFO don't half have some full on powers with their investigations. Was reading the bill the other day.

  12. Stunned Mullet 12
    29 September 2020 at 8:54 pm

    https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/assets/cases/New-Zealand-First-Party-v-The-Director-of-the-Serious-Fraud-Office-2502.pdf

    ORDER PROHIBITING PUBLICATION OF THE JUDGMENT, THE APPLICATION AND ALL MATTERS RELATING TO IT UNTIL 5 PM FRIDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2020 UNLESS THE COURT OTHERWISE ORDERS.

    I consider there is a significant public interest in the New Zealand voting public being informed during an election campaign about criminal charges of serious fraud against people or organisations related to political parties.

    Ultimately, I consider the public interest in transparency outweighs the inconvenience of the announcement to NZ First. I do not consider the Court is justified in inhibiting the value of that transparency for the New Zealand public. It will be up

    to the political system including the media, rather than the judicial system, to ensure the transparency of the announcement is not obscured by confusion and misinformation.

    • Barfly 12.1
      29 September 2020 at 8:55 pm

      /shrug??

      • Stunned Mullet 12.1.1
        29 September 2020 at 9:01 pm

        Why would one want a complete media ban until after the election if one and one's colleagues and party had been completely exonerated ?

        • Hanswurst 12.1.1.1
          29 September 2020 at 10:34 pm

          The two most obvious reasons that I can see are:

          1. because one is oneself, or one's associates are, guilty of significant misconduct.
          2. because one knows that there is a strong chance that all that will come out before the election will be 'two unidentified individuals have been charged in connection with the NZ First Foundation case', and that many in politics and the media will do their damnedest to make sure that the terms 'charged' and NZ First' appear as close together as posssible, as often as they can, preferably with the words 'scandal', 'hypocrisy' and 'unprecedented' liberally sprinkled around them.
        • Incognito 12.1.1.2
          29 September 2020 at 11:03 pm

          It will be up to the political system including the media, rather than the judicial system, to ensure the transparency of the announcement is not obscured by confusion and misinformation.

          Winston Peters is having to fight harder than ever before for his political survival and he’s made few friends in the media.

          You are taking a high risk if you continue to go down this path of commenting.

  13. ken 13
    30 September 2020 at 12:24 am

    It will be sad to see Winston go, but he probably would have been higher in the polls now if he hadn't tried to stymie the government at every turn.

    I'm picking that he learned his financial gymnastics when he was a Nat.

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  • 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 ...
    Skeptical Science
    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 ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

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

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

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

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    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
    4 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

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

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    Skeptical Science
    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
    5 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

    Military politics as a distinct “partial regime.” Notwithstanding their peripheral status, national defense offers the raison d’être of the combat function, which their relative vulnerability makes apparent, so military forces in small peripheral democracies must be very conscious of events … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    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
    6 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the debate about how to responde to climate disinformation; and special guest ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • Have We an Infrastructure Deficit?

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

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

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

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

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

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    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 ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    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 ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The golden days of profit continue for the the Foodstuffs (Pak’n’Save and New World) and Woolworths supermarket duopoly. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 5:The Groceries Commissioner has ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The thermodynamics of electric vs. internal combustion cars

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Open to all with kind thanks to all subscribers and supporters.Today, RNZ revealed that despite MFAT advice to Nicola Willis to be very “careful and deliberate” in her communications with the South Korean government, prior to any public announcement on cancelling Kiwirail’s i-Rex, Willis instead told South Korea 26 minutes ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Satisfying the Minister’s Speed Obsession

    The Minister of Transport’s speed obsession has this week resulted in two new consultations for 110km/h speed limits, one in Auckland and one in Christchurch. There has also been final approval of the Kapiti Expressway to move to 110km/h following an earlier consultation. While the changes will almost certainly see ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    1 week ago

  • 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
    17 hours ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

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

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

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

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

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

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    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
    7 days ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

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

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

    Attorney-General Hon Judith Collins today announced the appointment of two new District Court judges. The appointees, who will take up their roles at the Manukau Court and the Auckland Court in the Accident Compensation Appeal Jurisdiction, are: Jacqui Clark Judge Clark was admitted to the bar in 1988 after graduating ...
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