Shaw interview – we have a crony capitalist state

Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, June 2nd, 2015 - 61 comments
Categories: capitalism, greens, james shaw - Tags: ,

Good interview with new Greens co-leader James Shaw on RNZ this morning. I don’t have time to transcribe, but here’s a summary:

==

Shaw’s main focus will be climate change. He has issued a challenge John Key to find common cause on climate change, the issue is bigger than politics.

He rules out formal coalition with National. Greens have more in common with Labour, “the distance with National is too great”.

He will draw on his business background to reach out to business.

The Greens support a mixed economy as transition sustainable smart green economy. We don’t have “free market capitalism”. After 2008 governments around the world guaranteed financial institutions. Profits are privatised but risks and costs are socialised – “which to me is not free market capitalism”. “We need to be honest about the system that we’ve got”. “What we’ve allowed in New Zealand and around the world is a sort of a crony capitalist state to creep in”.

He want to revive the memorandum of understanding with National. Starting with climate change, but looking for other areas of common cause. Espiner: what’s in it for National?. Policy stability long term, such as the stability around superannuation.

Espiner returns to his main question – why tie yourselves to Labour? Do you want a formal Labour Green arrangement and signal to voters? Shaw: we need to present an alternative government to National – people are looking for stability and mature government.

==

Not a perfect interview from Shaw, but a very good one. Creeping crony capitalism has a certain ring to it…

61 comments on “Shaw interview – we have a crony capitalist state ”

  1. philj 1

    Going by his photographs, he reminds me of Colin Firth. Good start. How will the Dirty Poltical MSM work on James? How long before it cranks into gear? Counting down …

    • weka 1.1

      actual LOL at the Colin Firth comment. Shaw should probably prepare himself for that too.

  2. SMILIN 2

    The thing that people dont get about National is that they are the self confessed undemocratic party in NZ read their founding document

    • Wayne 2.1

      SMILIN,

      Explain why you make this assertion. I am very familiar with the Rules of the Party which set out in Rule 4 the vision and values of the National Party.

      • Ovid 2.1.1

        Well, at its foundation, its principles were proclaimed to be:

        “To promote good citizenship and self-reliance; to combat communism and socialism; to maintain freedom of contract; to encourage private enterprise; to safeguard individual rights and the privilege of ownership; to oppose interference by the State in business, and State control of industry”

        It doesn’t enunciate what those “individual rights” are, but its chief focus was around property and business. Given the history of National governments over the years – the reinstatement of the death penalty in 1949, the waterfront dispute in 1951, the Springbok tour 30 years later – history has shown National to veer authoritarian on the political spectrum.

  3. You will not get a kiwi Saver payout without creeping crony capitalism.
    The Green/Labor savings scam is based on economic growth, economic growth is based on turning planet earth into a waste land.
    These are the best people this sick society can produce, we are stuffed.

  4. Sacha 4

    And Key has flat out rejected the offer cos there’s nothing in it for the govt, he reckons.

    • Puckish Rogue 4.1

      Shaw has rejected even the possibility of a deal with National so it shows hes not really serious and only wants the political oxygen National could give him

      • arkie 4.1.1

        um. Did you not read the above article re:Memorandum of Understanding?

        • Sacha 4.1.1.1

          muddying the waters comes naturally to some who live under bridges

        • Puckish Rogue 4.1.1.2

          Memorandum of Understanding means virtually nothing, its votes that count and National can’t count on the Greens vote

          Which means the Greens have (once again) put themselves at the mercy of Winston Peters

          • Sacha 4.1.1.2.1

            and the Greens have put themselves at the mercy of all those people who did not turn out to vote last election. Oh noes.

            • Puckish Rogue 4.1.1.2.1.1

              The problem the Greens have is its up to Winston whether the Greens get into parliament

              Winston could go with National
              Winston could go with Labour at the expense of the Greens if Labour get enough votes
              Winston could go with Labour and allow the Greens in as well

              Whats Winston most likely to do?

              • Sacha

                Or the Greens may help Labour lift their combined vote enough so Winston doesn’t matter. Think bold.

                • Puckish Rogue

                  So you think Winston is most likely going to go with National then…not like it hasn’t happend before and I’m sure he wouldn’t mind being called Sir Winston Peters one day

                  • Sacha

                    I don’t trust the man enough to predict what he would do. Better to make him irrelevant by Lab and Greens getting their shit together.

                    • Puckish Rogue

                      Yeah but thats the thing though isn’t last time it came down to it Labour chose Peter Dunne and Winston Peters over the Greens

                      Also remember when Winston was going to go with Labour and then whoops ended up with National

                      At the moment its pie in the sky to to think that Labour and the Greens can go from combined 38% in 2014 to leading in 2017

                      Winston has Labour (and possibly National) by the short and curlies and by rejecting National the Greens have thrown away their bargining chip

                    • Sacha

                      Keep believing the worst if you wish.

          • Tracey 4.1.1.2.2

            you need to open your mind to more than one way to skin a cat. Oh, and to understand what a MOU is before pronouncing it useless.

            • Puckish Rogue 4.1.1.2.2.1

              25 years without being in power makes the Greens nothing more than a lobby group, a successful lobby group mind you but still a lobby group

              There is nothing here to suggest that’ll change in the next couple of elections

              • McFlock

                Puckish Rogue thinks that the Greens are somehow less of a political party because, as a mere “successful lobby group, they can get their policy implemented while not even being in Cabinet.

                🙄

                • Puckish Rogue

                  They get very little policy implemented and the policy they do is minor

                  Yes they got insulation in homes which didn’t cost National much and was good for National anyway

                  Hows the climate change going for the Greens?

                  • weka

                    Think about where NZ was in the early 90s with regards to CC and where we are now, and then try arguing that the GP hasn’t influenced NZ on this.

                    Ditto child poverty issues more recently.

                    Here’s the achievements list from 2013, you can see other years in the links to the right of their page,

                    (sorry for the long cut and paste, but I thought it would save a whole bunch of wasted time on more of PR’s astroturfing),

                    Green Achievements 2013

                    The Green Party’s work in 2013 has delivered positive and significant results on the issues that matter to New Zealand.

                    Government backing of City Rail Link

                    The Government made a huge backtrack on their opposition to the city rail link in Auckland. After five years of campaigning by the Green Party, the Government have seen the light and agreed to build the rail link. It is a smart green transport solution and we were at the forefront of it.

                    Oil and gas waste free milk

                    After the Green Party highlighted on Campbell Live the issue of toxic waste from oil and gas exploration being spread on farms in Taranaki, Fonterra made a promise not to collect milk from any new dairy farms that have this waste spread on them.

                    Improvements to the Food Bill

                    Following a huge outcry from foodies around New Zealand, we lobbied Government and achieved positive changes to the Food Bill that will now protect your right to grow and swap food and keep down compliance costs for small businesses.

                    Opening up of Government banking contract

                    After years of Green Party pressure, the huge government banking contract will finally be opened up to get better value for money for the New Zealand public instead of sending all the profits to Australian-owned Westpac bank.

                    Cleaning up toxic sites

                    In May, Green Party mining spokesperson Catherine Delahunty and Environment Minister Amy Adams attended the closing ceremony at Tui Mine to mark the successful conclusion of the mine clean-up project. The Tui Mine clean-up was part of the toxic site management work conducted under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Green Party and the National Party. Another success of our work with Government has been the on-going development of a national register of contaminated sites.

                    Warmer drier homes

                    Our Memorandum of Understanding with National has also meant that over 150,000 New Zealand homes have had insulation installed as part of the Warm Up New Zealand scheme. Researchers found $1.21 billion worth of health benefits from the scheme.

                    Truth in banana labelling

                    We were part of the successful call to peel the “ethical choice” labels off Dole bananas after Oxfam released a report detailing just how unethical they were.

                    Minimising animal testing

                    We brought to light the issue of animal testing as part of the Psychoactive Substances Bill and have succeeded in forcing the Government to include provisions in the Bill, which while not going as far as we want, will at least restrict animal testing.

                    Helping New Zealanders to keep our assets

                    The Green Party was an active part of the Keep Our Assets coalition which collected over 440,000 signatures and delivered them to the Clerk of Parliament in July.

                    Winning marriage equality

                    We worked with the many groups to achieve Marriage Equality in New Zealand. As the only party to have marriage equality as policy, we were able to vote all together for it and support MPs from other parties to vote for it as well.

                    Strengthening International Criminal Court

                    Kennedy Graham succeeded in passing a motion about New Zealand ratification of the Kampala Amendments to the Rome Statute which will strengthen the International Criminal Court. This was the Government’s first public acknowledgement that they will be seeking to ratify the amendments.

                    Growing New Zealand’s cycle trail

                    There have been thousands of more kilometres of dedicated cycle paths, off-road cycling tracks and on-road cycling routes opened or approved under the Memorandum of Understanding we have with the Government.

                    Pressure to achieve better health and safety regulations

                    The changes in the law to provide for a new stand-alone Occupational Health and Safety agency and much tougher regulation of mining have occurred because of the pressure we put on the Government over the Pike River disaster.

                    Improving ACC

                    We have been keeping the pressure on the Government to fix ACC. Significant improvements are being made to its culture and the way it treats people. For example, it is now much more likely that specialist medical assessments will be genuinely independent, and claimants are being given a choice over who conducts them.

                    https://home.greens.org.nz/achievements

                    • Puckish Rogue

                      Imagine what they could do if they put the country ahead of their pride and announced they could go into coilition National

                    • I can imagine … Sweet FA.

                    • McFlock

                      Imagine what they could do if they put the country ahead of their pride and announced they could go into coilition National

                      Freudian slip there, PR.

                      And you’re purposefully ignoring that it’s up to the Green membership whether they choose to lie in that particular bed of snakes, should the time come.

                    • dukeofurl

                      Tui Mine mine cleanup as part of MoU with National.??

                      The websites from DoC and Waikato RC have NO mention of a MOU, or Green party for that matter for the remediation work.

                      “160,000 man hours of planning, management, engineering and construction time plus $21.7 million dollars were invested into the project.”
                      http://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/tui-mine/

                      Have you been airbrushed out of History ?

                      Or was the TUi mine NOT in the MoU and has been claimed as an afterthought. Have you been doing a “Dole” – as they did with ethical bananas.

                      The MoU, I have seen lists only Home insulation, energy efficiency and regulation of natural health products.
                      There could have been some agreement , But I would love to see ‘real’ evidence of that

                    • weka

                      “Imagine what they could do if they put the country ahead of their pride and announced they could go into coilition National”

                      As a GP member that’s exactly what I’ve imagined which is why I support the current position to not go into a National govt.

                      You’re getting boring now PR. Address the actual points or fuck off.

                    • weka

                      “Tui Mine mine cleanup as part of MoU with National.??”

                      from google,

                      https://blog.greens.org.nz/2011/05/24/greens-team-up-with-national-in-tui-mine-clean-up/

                      May 24, 2011 NZ Green Party

                      Green MP Catherine Delahunty with Environment Minister Nick Smith at the MOU signing in the Beehive this morning.

                      In another success story for MMP, Green MP Catherine Delahunty today announced a joint initiative with the National Party to clean up New Zealand’s most toxic site — Te Aroha’s Tui Mine.

                    • Macro

                      @the duke
                      https://blog.greens.org.nz/2013/05/09/tui-mine-healing-the-maunga/

                      The Green Party and the National Party agreed to include toxic site management work in their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2011, which also includes the successful home insulation scheme, the New Zealand Cycleway, natural health products legislation, and a pilot scheme to better protect forests and wildlife from pests.

                      “It is fantastic the Tui Mine is cleaned up. The Green Party is proud of the role we have played, working with the Government, to make this major clean-up a priority,” said Green Party toxics spokesperson Catherine Delahunty.

                      Ms Delahunty and Environment Minister Amy Adams today attended a closing ceremony at Tui Mine at Te Aroha to mark the successful conclusion of the five-year project.

                      http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1305/S00009/green-party-welcomes-tui-mine-clean-up.htm
                      I know that Catherine has worked long and hard on this and many similar projects over recent years.

                  • McFlock

                    So the Greens are simultaneously a “successful lobby group” and they “get very little policy implemented and the policy they do is minor”.

                    When we observe PR at any particular instant, his waveform collapses and we find out which way he’s spinning at that particular point in time…

                  • Tracey

                    how’s climate change going for everyone?

      • Sacha 4.1.2

        He articulated clearly over the weekend the distinction between a coalition deal and a cross-party consensus agreement on climate change.

        • Puckish Rogue 4.1.2.1

          He can articulate whatever he likes but (and its a pretty big but) hes the co-leader of a 11% party, National is a 47% party which means Shaw doesn’t have much leverage to work worth

          • McFlock 4.1.2.1.1

            National is a 47% party with a caucus of incompetents and sociopaths which means Shaw doesn’t have much leverage to work worth.

            FIFY.

            • weka 4.1.2.1.1.1

              lol.

              In PR’s world, it’s the man with the biggest club that wins. Doesn’t matter how stupid they are.

              • Puckish Rogue

                Yes, in my world its the party with the most votes that can form a government and take control of the treasury benches that wins

                • McFlock

                  Indeed.

                  Such a shame that the ability to become PM doesn’t seem to correlate at all with the skillset required to competently govern a country.

                  • weka

                    You’re the poster boy for macho politics PR.

                  • Puckish Rogue

                    Yet the people of NZ seem to think he does and so enough people vote for him and his support partners for him to stay uin power and the left, well the left could fill a dam with the amount of tears they cry

                    • McFlock

                      Yet the people of NZ seem to think[…]

                      Well, a third do, a third don’t, and most of the remainder seem to have gone all Mercutio.

                      But like I said, it’s such a shame that the nats can’t govern as adeptly as they manage to get elected.

                    • vto

                      Yep, the problem is more widespread than just the fools in National………

                      but, ya know, the majority is always onto it ….

                • vto

                  the mad world of the right wing and its even madder concepts of what constitutes winning ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

                  • Puckish Rogue

                    Will you still be laughing when John Keys returned to power in 2017 or is that not “winning”

                    • vto

                      for sure

                      except it will likely have turned to tears at where our society has gone

                      gone to the place of ‘winners’ ffs how depressing

              • les

                thats how the real world works.Thats why the U.S is omnipotent.

                • weka

                  You should read up on how and why civilisations crash.

                  • les

                    thats very vague…is there a time frame?

                  • les

                    bad answer.if civilisations ‘crash’ what are they replaced with?

                    • weka

                      Why are you using the word ‘if’ in that sentence? There is no question that civilisations collapse.

                      Start with Jared Diamond and Dmitri Orlov, both have books out and essays online.

            • dukeofurl 4.1.2.1.1.2

              But the Green party is just labour voters with better houses and jobs.

              AND national covets them !

  5. weka 5

    I thought this was another pretty good interview from Shaw. Apart from the gaff on not remembering the name of the Labour spokesperson on climate change (!), he seemed to get everything else right, and again presented the core ideas for people to get their heads around – no to a National govt, but yet to cross party co-operation on CC; we have a crony capitalist economy; the GP support a mixed economy as a way to transition to a post-carbon world; Labour and the GP share common much common ground and need to present as a credible govt in waiting. He came across as well prepared and even handled the stumbles well.

  6. He will draw on his business background to reach out to business.

    He’ll get his reaching-out hand bitten if he does things like point out crony capitalism. How would people like Talley get their knighthoods if politicians all started thinking like Shaw?

    • dukeofurl 6.1

      Talley is the perfect example of crony capitalism.

      The introduction of the quota management system based on the quantity of fish caught at the time, turned the Talleys and others, from a hand to mouth existence catching fish from small boats into asset based big scale millionaires overnight.
      The quota could be leased or sold, while up to then you had nothing until the fish were landed on the dock and sold for whatever price could be achieved.

  7. Charles 7

    Hmmm, not a good interview. Too many complex definitions and the clear definitions are starting to present an unsettling picture of the Green Party. The emerging theme that Turei is the “caring social mother” and Shaw the “mature business father” isn’t good at all. Guess which one is going to be taken more seriously than the other? Hello, Green Party, this is NZ culture calling…

    By not taking off his very stylish new suit jacket, leaning over, and slapping Espiner back to journalisitic integrity, Shaw allowed his answers to become muddled with qualifications to the point of saying nothing useful. That Shaw didn’t know who to contact inside of Labour, for environmental issues, is telling, and not a good thing to openly admit. Too much scoop-time has been spent on the Green/Nat potential/non-potential and not enough on front-footing a strategy for a future Labour/Greens relationship.

    people add up current popularity polls and get,

    Greens/Labour = 38%
    National = 47%

    therefore,

    National win 2017 game over.

    But it isn’t a, total percentage = sum of the parts, equation. The sense of security that voters would feel by Labour and Greens openly agreeing to stand as a unified option would increase the combined popularity above the individual party levels. Why seek a MoU with National when one with Labour would take 100% less time and effort, and have 100% more chance of success? Why is it so hard to build on the positivism we heard from Robertson a fortnight ago, with the positivism we often hear from Turei, and go from there?

    The Greens know it can work, Labour knows it can work, they say they know it can work, they say they want it to work, yet all we hear is how The Greens are chasing National like some infatuated teenage nerd-boy who chases the narcissistic popular girl at high school, and The Greens “media relations team” (or whatever they call themselves) are encouraging the continuance of the losing, time-wasting, game. Enough already.

    • weka 7.1

      Good grief, damned if they do or don’t.

      He’s doing what you wanted this morning, making it really clear and simple that the GP won’t go into govt with National. He’s also making it really clear that the GP want to work with Labour.

      Plus he’s using the media’s obsession about the National thing to not only talk abotu CC, but to put out a challenge to Key. It’s a smart move.

      And in case you hadn’t noticed, it was the suit that got him elected co-leader. Funny how little people trust the GP to know what they are doing.

CommentsOpinions

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

FeedsPartyGovtMedia

  • 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
    9 hours 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
    10 hours 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
    15 hours 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
    17 hours 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
    18 hours 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
    19 hours 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
    20 hours 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
    21 hours 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 ...
    1 day 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
    2 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
    2 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
    2 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 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
    4 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

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

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

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

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    4 days 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. ...
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    4 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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 ...
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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
    5 days 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 ...
    5 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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
    6 days 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 ...
    6 days ago
  • What if we freed up our streets, again?

    This guest post is by Tommy de Silva, a local rangatahi and freelance writer who is passionate about making the urban fabric of Tāmaki Makaurau-Auckland more people-focused and sustainable. New Zealand’s March-April 2020 Level 4 Covid response (aka “lockdown”) was somehow both the best and worst six weeks of ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    6 days ago
  • No Alarms And No Surprises

    A heart that's full up like a landfillA job that slowly kills youBruises that won't healYou look so tired, unhappyBring down the governmentThey don't, they don't speak for usI'll take a quiet lifeA handshake of carbon monoxideAnd no alarms and no surprisesThe fabulous English comedian Stewart Lee once wrote a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Five ingenious ways people could beat the heat without cranking the AC

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Daisy Simmons Every summer brings a new spate of headlines about record-breaking heat – for good reason: 2023 was the hottest year on record, in keeping with the upward trend scientists have been clocking for decades. With climate forecasts suggesting that heat waves ...
    6 days ago
  • No new funding for cycling & walking

    Studies show each $1 of spending on walking and cycling infrastructure produces $13 to $35 of economic benefits from higher productivity, lower healthcare costs, less congestion, lower emissions and lower fossil fuel import costs. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s my top six things to note ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    6 days ago
  • 99

    Dad turned 99 today.Hell of a lot of candles, eh?He won't be alone for his birthday. He will have the warm attention of my brother, and my sister, and everyone at the rest home, the most thoughtful attentive and considerate people you could ever know. On Saturday there will be ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Open Government: National reneges on beneficial ownership

    One of the achievements of the New Zealand’s Open Government Partnership Fourth National Action Plan was a formal commitment from the government to establish a public beneficial ownership register. Such a register would allow the ultimate owners of companies to be identified - a vital measure in preventing corruption, money ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt One.

    This project analyzes security politics in three peripheral democracies (Chile, New Zealand, Portugal) during the 30 years after the end of the Cold War. It argues that changes in the geopolitical landscape and geo-strategic context are interpreted differently by small … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    7 days ago
  • Tea and Toast

    When the skies are looking bad my dearAnd your heart's lost all its hopeAfter dawn there will be sunshineAnd all the dust will goThe skies will clear my darlingNow it's time for you to let goOur girl will wake you up in the mornin'With some tea and toastLyrics: Lucy Spraggan.Good ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 days ago
  • NLTP 2024 released – destroying pipeline of shovel ready local projects

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Waka Kotahi yesterday released the latest National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) for 2024-27. The NLTP sets out what transport projects will be funded for the next three years, including both central and local government projects. As expected given the government’s extremely ideological transport policy, it’s ...
    7 days ago
  • Can Brown deliver his roads

    The Government’s unveiling of its road-building programme yesterday was ambitious and, many would say, long overdue. But the question will be whether it is too ambitious, whether it is affordable, and, if not, what might be dropped. The big ticket items will be the 17 so-called Roads of National Significance. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    7 days ago
  • New paper about detecting climate misinformation on Twitter/X

    Together with Cristian Rojas, Frank Algra-Maschio, Mark Andrejevic, Travis Coan, and Yuan-Fang Li, I just published a paper in Nature Communications Earth & Environment where we use the Computer Assisted Recognition of Denial and Skepticism (CARDS) machine learning model to detect climate misinformation in 5 million climate tweets. We find over half ...
    1 week ago
  • Excerpting “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies.”

    In the late 2000s-early 2010s I was researching and writing a book titled “Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Chile, New Zealand and Portugal.” The book was a cross-regional Small-N qualitative comparison of the security strategies and postures of three small … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    1 week ago
  • Hating for the Wrong Reasons: Of Rings of Power, Orcs and Evil

    A few months ago, my fellow countryman, HelloFutureMe, put out a giant YouTube video, dissecting what went wrong with the first season of Rings of Power (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ6FRUO0ui0&t=8376s). It’s an exceptionally good video, and though it spans some two and a half hours, it is well worth your time. But ...
    1 week ago
  • Climate Change: “Least cost” to who?

    On Friday the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment released their submission on National's second Emissions Reduction Plan, ripping the shit out of it as a massive gamble based on wishful thinking. One of the specific issues he focused on was National's idea of "least cost" emissions reduction, pointing out that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 week ago
  • Israeli Lives Matter

    There is no monopoly on common senseOn either side of the political fenceWe share the same biology, regardless of ideologyBelieve me when I say to youI hope the Russians love their children tooLyrics: Sting. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Luxon Cries

    Over the weekend, I found myself rather irritably reading up about the Treaty of Waitangi. “Do I need to do this?” It’s not my jurisdiction. In any other world, would this be something I choose to do?My answer - no.The Waitangi Tribunal, headed by some of our best legal minds, ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • Just one Wellington home being consented for every 10 in Auckland

    A decade of under-building is coming home to roost in Wellington. 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 Monday September 2:Wellington’s leaders are wringing their hands over an exodus of skilled ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • Container trucks on local streets: why take the risk?

    This is a guest post by Charmaine Vaughan, who came to transport advocacy via her local Residents Association and a comms role at Bike Auckland. Her enthusiasm to make local streets safer for all is shared by her son Dylan Vaughan, a budding “urban nerd” who provided much of the ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    1 week ago
  • 2024 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #35

    A listing of 35 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, August 25, 2024 thru Sat, August 31, 2024. Story of the week After another crammed week of climate news including updates on climate tipping points, increasing threats from rising ...
    1 week ago
  • An Uncanny Valley of Improvement: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power, Episodes 1-3 (Season ...

    And thus we come to the second instalment of Amazon’s Rings of Power. The first season, in 2022, was underwhelming, even for someone like myself, who is by nature inclined to approach Tolkien adaptations with charity. The writing was poor, the plot made no sense on its own terms, and ...
    1 week ago
  • Alcohol debris and Crocodile Tears

    I write to you this morning from scenes of carnage. Around the floor lie young men who only hours earlier were full of life, and cocktails, and now lie silent. Read more ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • When Do We Look Away?

    Hi,The first time I saw something that made me recoil on the internet was a visit to Rotten.com. The clue was in the name — but the internet was a new thing to me in the 90s, and no-one really knew what the hell was going on. But somehow I ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    1 week ago
  • The decades just fly by

    You turn your back for a moment and a city can completely transform itself. It was, oh, just the other day I was tripping up to Kuala Lumpur every few months to teach workshops and luxuriate in the tropical warmth and fill my face with Char Kway Teow.It has to ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • 2024 Reading Summary: August

    Completed reads for August: Aesop’s Fables (collection), by Aesop Berserk: Volume XXV (manga), by Kentaro Miura Benighted, by J.B. Priestly Berserk: Volume XXVI (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXVIII (manga), by Kentaro Miura Berserk: Volume XXIX (manga), by Kentaro Miura ...
    1 week ago
  • Is recent global warming part of a natural cycle?

    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 from the Gigafact team in collaboration with John Mason. You can submit claims you think need checking via the tipline. Is recent global warming part ...
    1 week ago
  • White Noise

    Now here we standWith our hearts in our handsSqueezing out the liesAll that I hearIs a message, unclearWhat else is there to decide?All that I'm hearing from youIs White NoiseLyrics: Christopher John CheneyIs the tide turning?Have we reached the high point of the racist hate and lies from Hobson’s Pledge, ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • The Death Of “Big Norm” – Exactly 50 Years Ago Today.

    Norman KirkPrime Minister of New Zealand 1972-1974Born: 6 January 1923 - Died: 31 August 1974Of the working-class, by the working-class, for the working-class.Video courtesy of YouTubeThese elements were posted on Bowalley Road on Saturday, 31 August 2024. ...
    1 week ago
  • Claims and Counter-Claims.

    Whose Foreshore? Whose Seabed? When the Marine and Coastal Area Act was originally passed back in 2011, fears about the coastline becoming off-limits to Pakeha were routinely allayed by National Party politicians pointing out that the tests imposed were so stringent  that only a modest percentage of claims (the then treaty ...
    1 week ago
  • Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 week ago
  • The Principles of the Treaty

    Hardly anyone says what are ‘the principles of the treaty’. The courts’ interpretation restrain the New Zealand Government. While they about protecting a particular community, those restraints apply equally to all community in a liberal democracy – including a single person.Treaty principles were introduced into the governance of New Zealand ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    1 week ago
  • The Only Other Reliable Vehicle.

    An Elite Leader Awaiting Rotation? Hipkins’ give-National-nothing-to-aim-at strategy will only succeed if the Coalition becomes as unpopular in three years as the British Tories became in fourteen.THE SHAPE OF CHRIS HIPKINS’ THINKING on Labour’s optimum pathway to re-election is emerging steadily. At the core of his strategy is Hipkins’ view ...
    1 week ago
  • A Big F U to this Right Wing Government

    Open to all - deep thanks to those who support and subscribe.One of the things that has got me interested recently is updates about Māori wards.In April, Stuff’s Karanama Ruru reported that ~ 2/3 of our 78 councils had adopted Māori wards in NZ.That meant that under the Coalition repeal ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 weeks 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
    12 hours 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
    12 hours 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
    14 hours 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
    3 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
    3 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
    3 days ago
  • District Court judges appointed

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon held a bilateral meeting today with the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol. “Korea and New Zealand are likeminded democracies and natural partners in the Indo Pacific. As such, we have decided to advance discussions on elevating the bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • International tourism continuing to bounce back

    Results released today from the International Visitor Survey (IVS) confirm international tourism is continuing to bounce back, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Matt Doocey says. The IVS results show that in the June quarter, international tourism contributed $2.6 billion to New Zealand’s economy, an increase of 17 per cent on last ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government confirms RMA reforms to drive primary sector efficiency

    The Government is moving to review and update national level policy directives that impact the primary sector, as part of its work to get Wellington out of farming. “The primary sector has been weighed down by unworkable and costly regulation for too long,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.  “That is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Weak grocery competition underscores importance of cutting red tape

    The first annual grocery report underscores the need for reforms to cut red tape and promote competition, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly says. “The report paints a concerning picture of the $25 billion grocery sector and reinforces the need for stronger regulatory action, coupled with an ambitious, economy-wide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government moves to lessen burden of reliever costs on ECE services

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Government has listened to the early childhood education sector’s calls to simplify paying ECE relief teachers. Today two simple changes that will reduce red tape for ECEs are being announced, in the run-up to larger changes that will come in time from the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Over 2,320 people engage with first sector regulatory review

    Regulation Minister David Seymour says there has been a strong response to the Ministry for Regulation’s public consultation on the early childhood education regulatory review, affirming the need for action in reducing regulatory burden. “Over 2,320 submissions have been received from parents, teachers, centre owners, child advocacy groups, unions, research ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs women in horticulture

    “The Government is empowering women in the horticulture industry by funding an initiative that will support networking and career progression,” Associate Minister of Agriculture, Nicola Grigg says.  “Women currently make up around half of the horticulture workforce, but only 20 per cent of leadership roles which is why initiatives like this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government to pause freshwater farm plan rollout

    The Government will pause the rollout of freshwater farm plans until system improvements are finalised, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today. “Improving the freshwater farm plan system to make it more cost-effective and practical for farmers is a priority for this ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Milestone reached for fixing the Holidays Act 2003

    Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety Brooke van Velden says yesterday Cabinet reached another milestone on fixing the Holidays Act with approval of the consultation exposure draft of the Bill ready for release next week to participants.  “This Government will improve the Holidays Act with the help of businesses, workers, and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • New priorities to protect future of conservation

    Toitū te marae a Tāne Mahuta me Hineahuone, toitū te marae a Tangaroa me Hinemoana, toitū te taiao, toitū te tangata. The Government has introduced clear priorities to modernise Te Papa Atawhai - The Department of Conservation’s protection of our natural taonga. “Te Papa Atawhai manages nearly a third of our ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Faster 110km/h speed limit to accelerate Kāpiti

    A new 110km/h speed limit for the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) has been approved to reduce travel times for Kiwis travelling in and out of Wellington, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • IVL increase to ensure visitors contribute more to New Zealand

    The International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) will be raised to $100 to ensure visitors contribute to public services and high-quality experiences while visiting New Zealand, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality Matt Doocey and Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka say. “The Government is serious about enabling the tourism sector ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Delivering priority connections for the West Coast

    A record $255 million for transport investment on the West Coast through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s road and rail links to keep people connected and support the region’s economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “The Government is committed to making sure that every ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Road and rail reliability a focus for Wellington

    A record $3.3 billion of transport investment in Greater Wellington through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will increase productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. We're focused on delivering transport projects ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Record investment to boost economic and housing growth in the Waikato

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Waikato through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more efficient, safe, and resilient roading network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With almost a third of the country’s freight travelling into, out ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Building reliable and efficient roading for Taranaki

    A record $808 million for transport investment in Taranaki through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Taranaki’s roads carry a high volume of freight from primary industries and it’s critical we maintain efficient connections across the region to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Supporting growth and resilience in Otago and Southland

    A record $1.4 billion for transport investment in Otago and Southland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will create a more resilient and efficient network that supports economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in Otago ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Delivering connected and resilient roading for Northland

    A record $991 million for transport investment in Northland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s connections and support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “We are committed to making sure that every transport dollar is spent wisely on the projects and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Top of the South to benefit from reliable transport infrastructure

    A record $479 million for transport investment across the top of the South Island through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will build a stronger road network that supports primary industries and grows the economy, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We’re committed to making sure that every dollar is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government delivering reliable roads for Manawatū-Whanganui

    A record $1.6 billion for transport investment in Manawatū-Whanganui through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will strengthen the region’s importance as a strategic freight hub that boosts economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Delivering infrastructure to increase productivity and economic growth is a priority for our Government. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Restoring connections in Hawke’s Bay

    A record $657 million for transport investment in the Hawke’s Bay through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support recovery from cyclone damage and build greater resilience into the network to support economic growth and productivity, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “We are committed to making sure that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Transport resilience a priority for Gisborne

    A record $255 million for transport investment in Gisborne through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will support economic growth and restore the cyclone-damaged network, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “With $255 million of investment over the next three years, we are committed to making sure that every transport ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Prioritising growth and reduced travel times in Canterbury

    A record $1.8 billion for transport investment Canterbury through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and productivity and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Christchurch is the economic powerhouse of the South Island, and transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Supporting growth and freight in the Bay of Plenty

    A record $1.9 billion for transport investment in the Bay of Plenty through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will boost economic growth and unlock land for thousands of houses, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Transport is a critical enabler for economic growth and productivity in the Bay of ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Getting transport back on track in Auckland

    A record $8.4 billion for transport investment in Auckland through the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) will deliver the infrastructure our rapidly growing region needs to support economic growth and reduce travel times, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.  “Aucklanders rejected the previous government’s transport policies which resulted in non-delivery, phantoms projects, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-09-09T14:10:03+00:00