Should MPs also be subject to sanctions when they don’t do their job?

Written By: - Date published: 11:55 am, May 8th, 2018 - 59 comments
Categories: Abuse of power, accountability, benefits, Gerry Brownlee, national, Politics, same old national, trevor mallard, welfare - Tags:

National is a great believer that if you are paid to do a job you should do the job. And that people reliant on the public purse should turn up to state required meetings. Otherwise they should lose their entitlements.

Louise Upston sums up National’s approach to beneficiary obligations well:

“New Zealanders are a fair minded people who want to help those who fall on hard times. But they also believe that people should help themselves and when they can work they should.

“Anyone who needs access to welfare can get it. It’s only right that they in return they meet obligations including looking for work, turning up to appointments, staying drug free and being honest about their living arrangements.

“It’s the clear expectation of tax payers that if beneficiaries are not doing that, then there should be sanctions.

“This is not ‘beneficiary bashing’. This is simply us wanting to make sure that every New Zealander is achieving their potential and that’s done by getting out of dependency.”

But this does not apply to everyone. Solo mums and people on the dole yes, members of Parliament no.

At least this is the only interpretation available from recent behaviour from National in Parliament.

From Isaac Davidson at the Herald:

National Party MPs have skipped a meeting of the Business Committee in an apparent protest at Speaker Trevor Mallard’s handling of Question Time.

National’s members of the committee did not turn up to a meeting last Tuesday. Only Anne Tolley attended, though she was there in her capacity as Deputy Speaker.

The committee is in charge of when Parliament sits and what is debated, including what laws come before the House.

Shadow Leader of the House Gerry Brownlee, who is on the committee, said it was not compulsory to attend and his MPs had only missed one meeting.

He rejected the suggestion that National MPs were staging a boycott, and said they would “probably” attend tomorrow’s meeting.

But it is understood that his party is upset about Mallard’s handling of Parliamentary Question Time and his treatment of MPs on the National side.

A source said Mallard, who must be a neutral referee, had been condescending and disparaging towards National’s senior MPs.

I think that Mallard has actually tried to be really fair. He has deducted questions from National but he has also deducted a number of questions from Labour. He reminds me of Lockwood Smith rather than David Carter.

But National’s response feels like born to rule anger they are not still in power stuff.  And the one word that springs to mind over their complaint is “diddums”.

And not turning up to a Parliamentary committee meeting through spite?

The procedural stupidity is stunning.  National needs to get its new MP onto select committees, particularly Health where there is now a vacancy.  And there was a proposal to allow allow provincial MPs to leave earlier on Thursday in order to make flights home which cannot be advanced.  Failing to turn up to the meeting only delays matters.

 

Maybe their entitlements to state support should be reconsidered. After all it is the clear expectation of taxpayers that MPs as well as beneficiaries should meet their expections. And if they don’t then why shouldn’t there be sanctions.

59 comments on “Should MPs also be subject to sanctions when they don’t do their job? ”

  1. Ed 1

    Yes.
    Cut their pay.

  2. Gosman 2

    National feels like they aren’t getting a fair deal from Mallard. I would think it is beholden on Mallard to sort this out as he wouldn’t want to be seen to be partisan.

    • Pat 2.1

      oh i dont know….never appeared to bother Carter

    • Akldnut 2.2

      You’re type some real shit sometime’s Gossy, with your partisan veiws we’re lucky you’re not the speaker

      • Gosman 2.2.1

        Exactly. You don’t want a partisan speaker. Mallard should be concerned if the opposition perceive him in that way.

        • Barfly 2.2.1.1

          Maybe they need new prescriptions for their monocles

        • alwyn 2.2.1.2

          You must be fair though.
          Mallard has a much tougher job than Carter.
          Look at the enormous range of completely incompetent Ministers he has to protect from having to answer questions. Trevor will be gone if he doesn’t hide them from being pilloried by the sensible questions they are quite incapable of answering
          Whoever described the collection of idiots as being in Witless Protection had it spot on.
          Has anyone seen Curran or Davis lately?

          • In Vino 2.2.1.2.1

            Ha ha ha ha. No incompetent National muppets’ backsides covered by cack-handed Carter?
            You’re a laugh, alwyn.

            • alwyn 2.2.1.2.1.1

              A few were for a little while.
              At least when Key was PM they tended to be moved on before they could do that much damage. English was a bit more forgiving.
              With the current lot it is about half the Ministerial pool. Are you really impressed with them?

    • Banjo 2.3

      Lots of workers feel like they’re not getting a fair deal. No-one else has the luxury of withholding their Labour without notice like these National MPs have done.

      • Gosman 2.3.1

        It is the benefit of being an MP. If you don’t like what they do get rid of them by not voting for either them or their political party.

        • Banjo 2.3.1.1

          Thats not the benefit of being an MP thats entitlement in action. I already understand how voting works but thanks anyway.

    • Grantoc 2.4

      Maybe Mallard should also have his pay cut; in his case for incompetent performance as speaker.

      A critical element of his job is to be neutral – his neutrality has been absent recently (although today in the house he was a lot more sympathetic to National MPs during question time and noticeably harder on Labour).

      BTW – incompetent performance is much more serious than not turning up to a meeting.

      • dukeofurl 2.4.1

        “Carter admits being an unbiased Speaker ‘a big ask”

        That was when he was appointed out of the blue by Key, who broke with convention by not ‘consulting’ the opposition.

        • tracey 2.4.1.1

          Not for Lockwood Smith. But then the Nats had to move him to London to ensure a 3rd term.

        • alwyn 2.4.1.2

          You have any evidence for that claim?
          Or is it just another fairy story?

  3. Dazzer 3

    Got me there. I thought you were talking out Mallard. Yes, he should be docked his pay for not doing his job.

  4. Wayne 4

    Parliamentary Question Time is the principal place where the opposition holds the government to account. While I appreciate the questions are allocated according to the size of the party, and thus it appears that this is not about holding the government to account, that ignores the real and substantive purpose of Question Time. Which is the opposition testing government ministers and holding them to account.

    So Question Time matters a lot to oppositions. It is their major opportunity to show their mettle. Thus any perceived unfairness has more bite in Question Time than at any other time during House proceedings. Oppositions losing questions is vastly more significant than governments losing questions (which are patsies anyway).

    The Speaker will be concerned if he gets seriously offside with the opposition. And the opposition is clearly signalling that.

    I imagine the Speaker will be thinking twice about the wisdom of docking the oppositions questions, at least at the rate he does. The threshold to do so, from what I have seen of the current question time, ought to be higher than it currently is. Previously it was a pretty rare thing to lose a question, now it is a regular occurrence mostly due to how the Speaker runs Question time.

    • Anne 4.1

      Perhaps if your side of the house stopped being so vindictive and petty minded then maybe they wouldn’t lose so many supplementary questions.

      I don’t get to watch all that much of QT, but what I have seen suggests its about ‘even steven’ with perhaps a handful of extra penalties over time for National because of their attitude. It’s time your lot stopped seething with revenge because they lost the Treasury Benches which they imagine is theirs’ by rights.

      They are behaving like an entitled bunch of spoiled brats.

      • veutoviper 4.1.1

        Hate to say it, but today Mallard was handing out the supplementaries to National like a lolly scramble – and coming down on Labour Ministers like a tonne of bricks. He even called Nash a child twice, and later apologised for doing so.

        • alwyn 4.1.1.1

          Has he realised he has been going to far then?
          About time. I had high hopes that Trevor had matured a bit in his dotage, ie when he first became Speaker. Then he reverted to form though he had the sense not to get back into attacking MPs from the opposite party in the House and ending up in Court having to plead guilty to fighting in a public place and having to donate to a most appropriate charity. That was the Salvation Army Drug and Alcohol Program.
          Perhaps he can finally do something useful for New Zealand. God knows though. He has already spent more that 30 useless years in Parliament.

        • Chris 4.1.1.2

          Mallard’s always been in the wrong party, anyway.

    • veutoviper 4.2

      Wayne, I agree that:

      “While I appreciate the questions are allocated according to the size of the party, and thus it appears that this is not about holding the government to account, that ignores the real and substantive purpose of Question Time. Which is the opposition testing government ministers and holding them to account.

      So Question Time matters a lot to oppositions. It is their major opportunity to show their mettle. “

      The Opposition is currently made up of the National Party and ACT. Because it is a one man/person band, ACT gets very few questions. In the current term to date, a total of only six questions to be precise of a total of 516 questions (including today’s 12 questions).

      Under the current Oral Question Roster, today is Day 43, so ACT is scheduled to ask Question 5 (and NZF Question 10*).

      Oral Question Roster – https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-NZ/52SCBUDeterminations201711081/8711510daa40c86a56295e2b6e5cbece93abf7da

      Today’s Oral Questions – https://www.parliament.nz/en/pb/order-paper-questions/list-of-oral-questions/oral-questions-8-may-2018/

      BUT no Seymour question at Q5. Instead Judith Collins is using the Q5 slot to ask what is becoming something of a perennial – and as such hardly a bombshell imo:

      “Hon JUDITH COLLINS to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development: How many houses will be built under the KiwiBuild programme?”

      So why is Seymour not using one of his very rare opportunities to hold the government to account?

      I do hope Seymour is not too busy practicing for ‘Dancing With the Stars’ to take his place in the House for Question Time today – but if he is (practicing his dancing instead of being in the House to hold the government to account) then why should he not be subject to some form of sanction for not doing his paid job?

      (* Darroch Ball used the NZF Q10 slot to ask questions of his fellow NZF Member Ron Mark as Minister for Veterans – not as patsy questions but very somber questions about the repatriation of bodies of NZ service personnel who died overseas.)

      • dukeofurl 4.2.1

        Will twinkle toes Seymour even be in Wellington for the house sitting this week ?

    • Barfly 4.3

      Good grief Wayne considering Carter’s behavior you are truly “jumping the shark”.

  5. Greg 5

    Speaker mallard is doing a wonderful job national just can’t cope with the loss of power well tuff

  6. Michelle 6

    What a bunch of cry babies the nats are they need to do there f..n job they are getting well paid for it. They also need to walk their talk. Why do people think this country is in such a mess who left that mess and someone else is cleaning up their shit and some stupid NZders expect the nats shit to be fixed in 6 months wise up you bunch of ders. Just like all our cow shit it will takes years to fix the mess not months.

    • Gosman 6.1

      Nice party political broadcast for the Labour party there…

    • greg 6.2

      those nacts looted lied and used oppression for 9 years it will take a decade to undo the damage i totally support speaker mallard to torture those filthy nacts

  7. Cinny 7

    Have been very impressed with Mallard in his role of Speaker, he doesn’t let anyone talk shite, unlike Carter who appear to have selective hearing often. Mallard holds the nat’s to account, and all the other parties and after carter ruling the roost for so long, it’s no wonder the nat’s are struggling with their egos.

    As for the nat’s doing a no-show for meetings, yes dock their pay, if anyone else didn’t show up for work they would be held accountable, MPs should be no different.

    If the nat’s really want to protest they should join a union.

  8. Puckish Rogue 8

    Ok so taking this post seriously i’d have to say a firm…maybe but only if its applied equally in other areas.

    • Barfly 8.1

      Are you willing to offer an honest assessment of Carter’s work as “speaker” ? Please

      • Puckish Rogue 8.1.1

        David Carter was as bad as, if not worse, than Margret Wilson.

        • alwyn 8.1.1.1

          God. I can only suggest the your memory is failing.
          Carter may not have been very good but nobody compares with the Banshee from Hamilton, Wilson.
          She was the by far the worst in my lifetime and that goes back to the later years of the First Labour Government.

          • In Vino 8.1.1.1.1

            Your senility explains your constant misjudgements. She was far from being the worst.

            • alwyn 8.1.1.1.1.1

              I may not be suffering from senility as you so stupidly suggest.
              There is one thing where my memory cannot provide me with an answer though. I am completely unable to think of a single sensible thing you have ever said on this blog.
              That isn’t a memory problem of course. A sensible comment from you doesn’t exist.

          • Stuart Munro 8.1.1.1.2

            Carter was much worse. He was so bad it was like not having a parliament at all. Under Carter Gerry could do wtf he liked – and that turned out to be helping insurers bilk their NZ customers – none of which was reviewed by parliament because useless dickhead Carter protected him.

            Same goes for Coleman – health is a fucking disaster area, but the asshole responsible slithered off with barely a harsh word addressed to him.

            Cunts like Carter make the very idea of parliament and ministerial responsibility a joke. And by doing so they require rational citizens to seek redress by other means.

            • Puckish Rogue 8.1.1.1.2.1

              Instead of arguing who is worst shouldn’t we arguing why current Speakers arn’t up to the standard of Lockwood Smith (or any other Speaker that was as good)

              • roy cartland

                Lockwood was surprisingly good, really apparent next to the trainwreck that was Carter. Mallard is way better than I expected, but he still needs to settle into a little bit more decorum than he has – last night he called someone a spoilt child. The casualness he’s introduced works in some areas (such as nodding for further supplementaries, not being too stiff with rulings and replies to members when it’s not necessary and keeping the air somewhat jocular); and not on those such as when he almost lapses into his former, idiotic braying self.

                Though it is apparent that the NATs are not used to getting away with the crap that Carter put up with from them, and they can’t stand it (hence Brownlee getting up to question every other ruling).

              • alwyn

                It isn’t nearly as much fun for most of the commenters here. I’m sure they would be very hard pressed to name more than one of the Speakers before Wilson. I certainly had to think quite hard even to name them when I got back into the 1970s. I simply couldn’t remember the Speaker in the Kirk/Rowling years from memory at all and had to look it up.

                • Puckish Rogue

                  Me neither but i thought I should add it in case there was someone the old timers around here might remember

  9. patricia bremner 9

    Gerry is too used to taking away legal rights… Christchurch

    Ignoring rules when they don’t suit him,….. airports

    Thinking he is still in charge, but he’s …….. opposition.

  10. greywarshark 10

    Yes dock their pay. Put them on notice from the ordinary people they have carried out a crusade against. Beneficiaries can have their living withheld at the malicious lie of an informer. Politicians who won’t follow the laws and conventions of the polity can definitely be sanctioned, this is another step in their hostile takeover started in the 1980’s. It is part of a revolution, but not as we have known it.

  11. Gabby 11

    Mallard doesn’t seem to appreciate Jeery Browneye telling him how to do his job. Hard to believe, I know.

  12. Ken 12

    If National wants to cut off it’s nose to spite it’s face, that’s fine by me.

  13. Stuart Munro 13

    “Should MPs also be subject to sanctions when they don’t do their job?”

    Gerry never has. Neither have most of his colleagues.

    Not turning up for a parliamentary process committee is small potatoes after a career of non-performance. But sure – hang the useless fuckers out to dry.

  14. Tuppence Shrewsbury 14

    Taking away a civil servants right to protest Mickey?

  15. mac1 15

    National want new friends to play with!

    http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2018/05/act-s-future-looks-shaky-as-simon-bridges-noncommittal-about-epsom-deal.html

    $4,500,000 didn’t buy enough votes for National in 2017 so have they finally wised up to the fact that they need friends, not dancing clowns and batty Conservatives.

    With the way they’re going, National are entering into the ‘angry’ stage of grief. Grumpy with the Speaker, grumpy with ACT, grumpy internally.

  16. Jackel 16

    Like a lot of things we get paid for politics isn’t work. When was the last time one of them broke into a sweat, despite all their lies.

    • Cold Hard Truth 16.1

      Its only when politicians get caught in a lie that you actually get to see them sweat! That said I suspect some of them don’t have sweat glands or had them removed before they took the “job”…..

  17. Cold Hard Truth 17

    I’d guess few of them would last more than a day if that standard was applied? Maybe its worth considering…..?

  18. Jenny 18

    “Should MPs also be subject to sanctions when they don’t do their job?”
    MICKYSAVAGE

    I think that this MP certainly merits it

    “…..we certainly haven’t done any work,”

    (and seemingly, proud of it)

    Laziness?

  19. R.P Mcmurphy 19

    I must say I have never seen trevs hand signals.

  20. R.P Mcmurphy 20

    one of th e reasons british monarchical democracy is so important is the unwritten laws and the one we should cherish is that an mp is there to represent the interests of his/her constituents and shall be judged by them.
    if this principle is lost then it will be a job.

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    3 days ago
  • Expert Opinion: Ageing Boomers, Laurie & Les, Talk Politics.
    It hardly strikes me as fair to criticise a government for doing exactly what it said it was going to do. For actually keeping its promises.”THUNDER WAS PLAYING TAG with lightning flashes amongst the distant peaks. Its rolling cadences interrupted by the here-I-come-here-I-go Doppler effect of the occasional passing car. ...
    3 days ago
  • Manufacturing The Truth.
    Subversive & Disruptive Technologies: Just as happened with that other great regulator of the masses, the Medieval Church, the advent of a new and hard-to-control technology – the Internet –  is weakening the ties that bind. Then, and now, those who enjoy a monopoly on the dissemination of lies, cannot and will ...
    3 days ago
  • A Powerful Sensation of Déjà Vu.
    Been Here Before: To find the precedents for what this Coalition Government is proposing, it is necessary to return to the “glory days” of Muldoonism.THE COALITION GOVERNMENT has celebrated its first 100 days in office by checking-off the last of its listed commitments. It remains, however, an angry government. It ...
    3 days ago
  • Can you guess where world attention is focussed (according to Greenpeace)? It’s focussed on an EPA...
    Bob Edlin writes –  And what is the world watching today…? The email newsletter from Associated Press which landed in our mailbox early this morning advised: In the news today: The father of a school shooter has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter; prosecutors in Trump’s hush-money case ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    3 days ago
  • Further integrity problems for the Greens in suspending MP Darleen Tana
    Bryce Edwards writes – Is another Green MP on their way out? And are the Greens severely tarnished by another integrity scandal? For the second time in three months, the Green Party has secretly suspended an MP over integrity issues. Mystery is surrounding the party’s decision to ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    3 days ago
  • Jacqui Van Der Kaay: Greens’ transparency missing in action
    For the last few years, the Green Party has been the party that has managed to avoid the plague of multiple scandals that have beleaguered other political parties. It appears that their luck has run out with a second scandal which, unfortunately for them, coincided with Golraz Ghahraman, the focus ...
    Democracy ProjectBy bryce.edwards
    3 days ago
  • Bernard’s Dawn Chorus with six newsey things at 6:46am for Saturday, March 16
    TL;DR: The six newsey things that stood out to me as of 6:46am on Saturday, March 16.Andy Foster has accidentally allowed a Labour/Green amendment to cut road user chargers for plug-in hybrid vehicles, which the Government might accept; NZ Herald Thomas Coughlan Simeon Brown has rejected a plea from Westport ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • How Did FTX Crash?
    What seemed a booming success a couple of years ago has collapsed into fraud convictions.I looked at the crash of FTX (short for ‘Futures Exchange’) in November 2022 to see whether it would impact on the financial system as a whole. Fortunately there was barely a ripple, probably because it ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    4 days ago
  • Elections in Russia and Ukraine
    Anybody following the situation in Ukraine and Russia would probably have been amused by a recent Tweet on X NATO seems to be putting in an awful lot of effort to influence what is, at least according to them, a sham election in an autocracy.When do the Ukrainians go to ...
    4 days ago
  • Bernard’s six stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15
    TL;DR: Shaun Baker on Wynyard Quarter's transformation. Magdalene Taylor on the problem with smart phones. How private equity are now all over reinsurance. Dylan Cleaver on rugby and CTE. Emily Atkin on ‘Big Meat’ looking like ‘Big Oil’.Bernard’s six-stack of substacks at 6pm on March 15Photo by Jeppe Hove Jensen ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Buzz from the Beehive Finance Minister Nicola Willis had plenty to say when addressing the Auckland Business Chamber on the economic growth that (she tells us) is flagging more than we thought. But the government intends to put new life into it:  We want our country to be a ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    4 days ago
  • National’s clean car tax advances
    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee has reported back on the Road User Charges (Light Electric RUC Vehicles) Amendment Bill, basicly rubberstamping it. While there was widespread support among submitters for the principle that EV and PHEV drivers should pay their fair share for the roads, they also overwhelmingly disagreed with ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Government funding bailouts
    Peter Dunne writes – This week’s government bailout – the fifth in the last eighteen months – of the financially troubled Ruapehu Alpine Lifts company would have pleased many in the central North Island ski industry. The government’s stated rationale for the $7 million funding was that it ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Two offenders, different treatments.
    See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    4 days ago
  • Treaty references omitted
    Ele Ludemann writes  – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • The Ghahraman Conflict
    What was that judge thinking? Peter Williams writes –  That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    4 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 15
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop: Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • The day Wellington up-zoned its future
    Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    4 days ago
  • Weekly Roundup 15-March-2024
    It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    4 days ago
  • That Word.
    Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    4 days ago
  • The Hoon around the week to March 15
    Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Labour’s policy gap
    It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    5 days ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #11 2024
    Open access notables A Glimpse into the Future: The 2023 Ocean Temperature and Sea Ice Extremes in the Context of Longer-Term Climate Change, Kuhlbrodt et al., Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society: In the year 2023, we have seen extraordinary extrema in high sea surface temperature (SST) in the North Atlantic and in ...
    5 days ago
  • Melissa remains mute on media matters but has something to say (at a sporting event) about economic ...
     Buzz from the Beehive   The text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary.  It can be quickly analysed ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    5 days ago
  • The return of Muldoon
    For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Will the rental tax cut improve life for renters or landlords?
    Bryce Edwards writes –  Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Geoffrey Miller: What Saudi Arabia’s rapid changes mean for New Zealand
    Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    5 days ago
  • Racism’s double standards
    Questions need to be asked on both sides of the world Peter Williams writes –   The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • It’s not a tax break
    Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • The Plastic Pig Collective and Chris' Imaginary Friends.
    I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Who is responsible for young offenders?
    Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    5 days ago
  • Gordon Campbell on National’s fantasy trip to La La Landlord Land
    How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
    5 days ago
  • Bernard's Top 10 @ 10 'pick 'n' mix' for March 14
    TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read: Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop: The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • No, Prime Minister, rents don’t rise or fall with landlords’ costs
    TL;DR: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Cartoons: ‘At least I didn’t make things awkward’
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
    5 days ago
  • Solving traffic congestion with Richard Prebble
    The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
    Greater AucklandBy Patrick Reynolds
    5 days ago
  • I Think I'm Done Flying Boeing
    Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Invoking Aristotle: Of Rings of Power, Stones, and Ships
    The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
    6 days ago
  • Van Velden brings free-market approach to changing labour laws – but her colleagues stick to distr...
    Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • Why Newshub failed
    Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago
  • Māori Party on the warpath against landlords and seabed miners – let’s see if mystical creature...
    Bob Edlin writes  –  The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they  follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    6 days ago
  • There’s a name for this
    Every year, in the Budget, Parliament forks out money to government agencies to do certain things. And every year, as part of the annual review cycle, those agencies are meant to report on whether they have done the things Parliament gave them that money for. Agencies which consistently fail to ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    6 days ago
  • Echoes of 1968 in 2024?  Pocock on the repetitive problems of the New Left
    Mike Grimshaw writes – Recent events in American universities point to an underlying crisis of coherent thinking, an issue that increasingly affects the progressive left across the Western world. This of course is nothing new as anyone who can either remember or has read of the late ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    6 days ago

  • Positive progress for social worker workforce
    New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 hours ago
  • Minister confirms reduced RUC rate for PHEVs
    Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 hours ago
  • Trade access to overseas markets creates jobs
    Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand.  Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    8 hours ago
  • NZ and Chinese Foreign Ministers hold official talks
    Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    21 hours ago
  • Kāinga Ora instructed to end Sustaining Tenancies
    Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber: Growth is the answer
    Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Singapore rounds out regional trip
    Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships.      “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Minister van Velden represents New Zealand at International Democracy Summit
    Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Insurance Council of NZ Speech, 7 March 2024, Auckland
    ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland  Acknowledgements and opening  Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho.  Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau  My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Five-year anniversary of Christchurch terror attacks
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says.  “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024
    Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024  Acknowledgements and opening  Morena, Nga Mihi Nui.  Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau  Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Early visit to Indonesia strengthens ties
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country.   “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • China Foreign Minister to visit
    Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week.  “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Minister opens new Auckland Rail Operations Centre
    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Celebrating 10 years of Crankworx Rotorua
    The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee.  “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government delivering on tax commitments
    Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today.  “The Amendment Paper represents ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Significant Natural Areas requirement to be suspended
    Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government classifies drought conditions in Top of the South as medium-scale adverse event
    Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government partnership to tackle $332m facial eczema problem
    The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced.  “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • NZ, India chart path to enhanced relationship
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level.   “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Ruapehu Alpine Lifts bailout the last, say Ministers
    Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Govt takes action to drive better cancer services
    Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Work begins on SH29 upgrades near Tauriko
    Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Fresh produce price drop welcome
    Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024.  “Lower fruit and vege ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Statement to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to the 68th United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW68)
    Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.  Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Government backs rural led catchment projects
    The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago
  • Speech to Auckland Business Chamber
    Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction.   Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago
  • Commission’s advice on ETS settings tabled
    Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Government lowering building costs
    The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Trustee tax change welcomed
    Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister’s Ramadan message
    Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness.  It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Minister appoints new NZTA Chair
    Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
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  • Speech to Life Sciences Summit
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