Skyfall comes to Wellington

Written By: advantage - Date published: 7:30 am, October 1st, 2023 - 5 comments
Categories: act, Christopher Luxon, david seymour, election 2023, national, privatisation, public services, same old national, uncategorized - Tags:

Skyfall was 10 years ago but it has a message for all public servants local or central as you choose your vote.

With Luxon at the helm and Seymour filling key cabinet positions, you know there is no limit to how many of you will be cut in order to afford the tax cuts. You have grown used over 6 years to being elevated above the market. Like in days of old. But when National and ACT get in, that privilege is assassinated.

For those public servants of a redistributionist persuasion who see poverty as worth alleviating, or even for those of a minimally statist persuasion who see state instruments simply greasing the wheels of efficient international capital, you know they are going to come for you irrespective. They won’t stop at the consultants. They won’t stop at the Maori and women’s and islander and other pc departments. They won’t stop at the bullshit quangos.

They will need to liquidate tens of thousands of public sector salaries to afford what they have promised.

That means you. Don’t think that legislative protection like EECA or EA or NZTA or ACC or Pharmac or or anything else with a board will be sufficient protection. Vote for your job or you have a high chance of losing it.

Skyfall’s Mallory states it for all civil servants under threat:

The Prime Minister has taken the position we’re a bunch of antiquated bloody idiots fighting a war we don’t understand and can’t possibly win. Fer chrissakes listen to yourself we’re a democracy and we’re accountable to the people we’re trying to defend.”

To which M responds:

You don’t get this do you. Whoever’s doing this, whoever’s behind this, he knows us. He’s one of us. He comes from the same place as Bond. A place you say doesn’t exist….. the shadows.”

Bond even in the era of Daniel Craig is of course a way to make a caricature of the state in extremis. But M’s response shows that she knows that the only way to survive this kind of Luxon Prime Minister is to be self-identical with the market: a place where policy and market outcome are brutal, fearless, without pity, and licensed to do a kind of violence that pays no redundancy. M needs a kind of public servant who views hard market engagement as necessarily hostile and directly threatening.

Skyfall has a really clear view of political economy, in which even the most secretive and extreme forms of the state are regularly held to public and media scrutiny as long and hard as as they see fit. That is a democratic New Zealand in operation.

Aside such classic corn as “I like you better without your Baretta” as Bond slips nude into the shower behind Severine and she responds “I feel naked without it”, we can see what is at risk for the public servants of Wellington in this election. What is at risk is an even meaner form of the Key government: where like Key stitching together the Sky City deal direct to that board, markets are played one big swaggering commercial play at at time. Deals may well in time explode like Joyce’s Transmission Gully or grossly metastasize like Bridges’ City Rail Link, or do their best to be indistinguishable from market players like Bennetts’ Kainga Ora, but Ministers will surf over waves of your accumulated blood because that is the National-ACT way to redistribute tax: over your salaried dead body.

All the institutions Labour had formed over 6 years, like recentralised health or recentralised tertiary education, they are no sufficient protection when tax cuts require ‘balancing the books’ on the coffins of your careers.

A National-ACT government will need no place for a State Service Commission, or Tertiary Education Commission, or Creative NZ, or university, or commission for talking about carbon markets, or regulator thrown on the red tape bonfire, nor any reason for an NZTA if it gets in the way of an Infrastructure Commission hungry for its first big deal of the term. A National-ACT government has no idea what to do with the public service, so it will stoke its tax cut furnace with the cold dried saving of your dead career.

For all those in local and regional government grown used over 6 years to more and more responsibility, more gradual devolution from the centre to carry out the re-regulation of spatial and agricultural capital, prepare for your career to end. There will be no more regionalisation of nodes of power. There will be no more talk of partnership be it local or communitarian or iwi. Farmer-politicians will roll you over. Real estate players-turned-politicians will write deals over your graves. You will be cheeping chicks in entities really run between heavy-beaked CE and Mayors.

Every single public servant from nurse to lecturer to DPMC needs to vote to save their jobs, and vote against National and ACT starting Monday. Because unlike Daniel Craig, you’re not issued with Walthers to fight back. Be then stirred, not shaken:

Your one bullet is your vote.

5 comments on “Skyfall comes to Wellington ”

Comments are now closed

Patricia Bremner 1

1 October 2023 at 9:38 am

Yes Ad, and ripples of austerity will then fan out to become a tsunami of shocks to all but real estate tourism and farming.

Let us hope those for whom the axe could fall, see that danger and appeal to family and friends to vote accordingly.

No Government is perfect, but some choices of direction of governmental travel are more dangerous and destructive of families and communities. Nat/Act is one.

Thank you for this post.
Dennis Frank 2

1 October 2023 at 10:05 am

Damn good literary reference framing, but social darwinism always happens so public servants will adapt to circumstance to survive. The jobs for life thing is ever so 20th century. The middle way is where natural survivors always are.

I'll be surprised if the electorate produces a Nat/Act outcome now that they have revived the NZF handbrake option. Viability of a need to control the loons will motivate many centrist voters from now on. Looks like we're faced with a rightist troika.

That means no ideological zealotry will succeed & we'll have another muddle thro the middle with a neolib hand on the steering just like now…

The skyfall thing has relevance tho. Not having seen the movie I'll just suggest that state agents may have a collective reservoir to shift into for survival (deep state theory). That non-public dimension is essentially collaborative due to common interests driving group survival (kin selection in darwinism). Yes minister, but we know better…
bwaghorn 3

1 October 2023 at 10:53 am

I guess all oureducated unemployed can always go over seas,
Descendant Of Smith 4

1 October 2023 at 11:50 am

It will be like previous times where those in support of a socialist caring state will be removed from the public service and National will continue its long term trend of filling up the public service with right wing acolytes. People on high salaries who don't live anywhere near poor people and have no idea of the difficulties and struggles they face. People who see our poorest most vulnerable citizens as numbers and experimental subjects, people who have been lying in wait for National return so they can self indulge in believing they are the best managers ever as they inflict pain and misery in order to achieve bullshit targets. These public servants are known to the National Party and will vote National.

The basic philosophy last time for waiting lists was to kick people off in order to meet the waiting list targets.

It is the perfect illusionary circle for National – kick people off and say things have improved, when Labour get in and put people back on the lists say things have got worse and National need to fix it again.

To be fair when they say they want to fix things it is true but only in relation to this definition.

: to influence the actions, outcome, or effect of by improper or illegal methods

the race had been fixed

"About 4700 families with only "moderate" or "low" housing needs will be bumped off the waiting list for state houses if the National Party wins this year's election.

Housing Minister Phil Heatley says Housing NZ will stop accepting applicants with low or moderate needs on its waiting list from next Friday and the policy will extend next year to people already on the list if National wins the election."

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/thousands-to-come-off-housing-list/MI2RAMFK4VC2YX4M5VVFFDDLIY/

‘Six thousand more patients have been dropped from surgery waiting lists, with no prospect of treatment under existing funding limits, Health Ministry figures issued yesterday show. The increase in the number of patients in the “active review” category—where they will receive treatment only if they deteriorate enough or more funding becomes available—takes the total to 24,400. The ministry's quarterly waiting report says it is critical that these patients are monitored and their plan of care and treatment status updated, but notes concern that some DHBs do not have processes in place to manage these patients’

The removals were essentially because many had been waiting longer than the targeted 6 months for treatment and therefore were considered low priority. The policy had the greatest impact on DHBs with larger lists of such patients and continued to be applied every year after 2001. Removal decisions were taken by booking system managers, without involvement of clinical specialists.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3617466/

Political capital out of bashing beneficiaries'

Mr Russell says most Ministry of Social Development employees go into the job wanting to help people, but soon realise what's expected of them – even without financial incentives.

"If you're going to have a career path through Work and Income and want to be a manager or a boss, you know what you need to be saying and doing."

Mr Roundill says he's seen service centre managers "fight like a wounded dog" to avoid giving clients what they're entitled to.

This "toxic culture" transcends Governments, says Mr Russell, with both Labour and National having adopted "neoliberal" economic policy since the 1980s.

"Both National and Labour-led Governments make political capital out of bashing beneficiaries," said Mr Russell.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2017/07/claims-winz-staff-kick-people-off-benefits-to-meet-targets.html
anon4today 5

3 October 2023 at 10:33 am

The thing about Wellington is that you can always tell by who they vote for, who is doing a good job, because they are the voters who actually see what is going on. That's why they vote red and green.

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https://www.greaterauckland.org.nz/?p=77196
The future of Te Huia, the train between Hamilton and Auckland, has been getting a lot of attention recently as current funding for it is only in place till the end of June. The government initially agreed to a five year trial, through to April 2026, but that was subject ...
Greater AucklandBy Matt L
5 days ago

Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Tuesday, May 7
TL;DR: Hamas has just agreed to Israel’s ceasefire plan. Nelson hospital’s rebuild has been cut back to save money. The OECD suggests New Zealand break up network monopolies, including in electricity. PM Christopher Luxon’s news conference on a prison expansion announcement last night was his messiest yet.Here’s my top six ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
5 days ago

HM Prison Aotearoa.
A homicide in Ponsonby, a manhunt with a killer on the run. The nation’s leader stands before a press conference reassuring a frightened nation that he’ll sort it out, he’ll keep them safe, he’ll build some new prison spaces.Sorry what? There’s a scary dude on the run with a gun ...
Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
5 days ago

Get Your Webworm Merch!
Hi,I know it’s been awhile since there’s been any Webworm merch — and today that all changes!Over the last four months, I’ve been working with New Zealand artist Jess Johnson to create a series of t-shirts, caps and stickers that are infused with Webworm DNA — and as of right ...
David FarrierBy David Farrier
5 days ago

Top OECD economist puts Willis between a rock and a hard place
The OECD’s chief economist yesterday laid it on the line for the new Government: bring the deficit under control or face higher Reserve Bank interest rates for longer. And to bring the deficit under control, she meant not borrowing for tax cuts. But there was more. Without policy changes—introducing a ...
PolitikBy Richard Harman
5 days ago

Media Link: “A View from Afar” on the moment of friction, and more.
After a hiatus of over four months Selwyn Manning and I finally got it together to re-start the “A View from Afar” podcast series. We shall see how we go but aim to do 2 episodes per month if possible. … Continue reading → ...
KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
6 days ago

Preposterous priorities – politicians preferred pastry
Newsroom writer Aaron Smale, in an article triggered by the High Court’s ruling on whether a sitting MP must respond to a summons to appear before the Waitangi Tribunal, reports on issues underpinning the tribunal’s urgent inquiry into the Government’s intention to remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
6 days ago

Climate Change: Forcing accountability in the UK
In 2008, the UK Parliament passed the Climate Change Act 2008. The law established a system of targets, budgets, and plans, with inbuilt accountability mechanisms; the aim was to break the cycle of empty promises and replace it with actual progress towards emissions reduction. The law was passed with near-universal ...
No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
6 days ago

Other councils are keen to be next to strike a water deal with govt
Buzz from the Beehive Local Water Done Well – let’s be blunt – is a silly name, but the first big initiative to put it into practice has gone done well. This success is reflected in the headline on an RNZ report: District mayors welcome Auckland’s new water deal with ...
Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
6 days ago

Why India is key to heading off climate catastrophe
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections A farmworker cleans the solar panels of a solar water pump in the village of Jagadhri, Haryana Country, India. (Photo credit: Prashanth Vishwanathan/ IWMI) Decisions made in India over the next few years will play a key role in global ...
Skeptical Science
6 days ago

Meanwhile “… the disturbing trend of increasing violence towards children continues to worsen”
Lindsay Mitchell writes – The Children’s Minister, Karen Chhour, intends to repeal Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 because it creates conflict between claimed Crown Treaty obligations and the child’s best interests. In her words, “Oranga Tamariki’s governing principles and its act should be colour ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

New Zealand’s geopolitical friendly fire has its limits
Geoffrey Miller writes – The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

The post-Covid economy: is it in another long stagnation – and if so, why?
Brian Easton writes – This is about the time that the Treasury will be locking up its economic forecasts to be published in the 2024 Budget Economic and Fiscal Update (BEFU) on budget day, 30 May. I am not privy to what they will be (I will report on them ...
Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
6 days ago

On the LTP 2024 Feedback
A few weeks ago Auckland Council released the results of consultation on the Long Term Plan (LTP) that occurred in March. With almost 28,000 submissions, it received the most feedback of any LTP in Auckland. It covered a wide range of topics soliciting feedback on different areas of council funded ...
Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
6 days ago

Bernard’s pick 'n' mix for Monday, May 6
TL;DR: Winston Peters is reported to have won a budget increase for MFAT. David Seymour wanted his Ministry of Regulation to be three times bigger than the Productivity Commission. Simeon Brown is appointing a Crown Monitor to Watercare to protect the Claytons Crown Guarantee he had to give ratings agencies ...
The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
6 days ago

Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s geopolitical friendly fire has its limits
The gloves are off. That might seem to be the undertone of surprisingly tough talk from New Zealand’s foreign and trade ministers. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, may be facing legal action after making allegations about former Australian foreign minister Bob Carr on Radio New Zealand. Carr had made highly ...
Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
6 days ago

New Zealand First Member’s Bill to protect women’s spaces
Today New Zealand First will introduce a Member’s Bill that will protect women’s spaces. The ‘Fair Access to Bathrooms Bill’ will require, primarily in the interest and safety of women and girls, that all new non-domestic publicly accessible buildings provide separate, clearly demarcated, unisex and single sex bathrooms. This Bill ...
NZ First Press Release
2 days ago

Release: Support for climate adaptation inquiry
Labour supports a Notice of Motion in the House today to move the Finance and Expenditure Committee to conduct an inquiry on climate adaptation. ...
Labour Blog
2 days ago

Greens welcome cross-party approach to climate adaptation
The Green Party is welcoming Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ continuation of Hon. James Shaw’s cross-party work on climate adaptation, now in the form of a Finance and Expenditure Committee Inquiry. ...
Greens
2 days ago

Release: Sexual violence prevention among hundreds of job cuts at ACC
The National Government plans to cut 390 jobs at ACC, including roles in the areas of prevention of sexual violence, road safety and workplace safety. ...
Labour Blog
3 days ago

Government shows allergy to evidence in benefits crackdown
The Government has been caught in opposition to evidence once again as it looks to usher in tried, tested and failed work seminar obligations for job-seeking beneficiaries. ...
Greens
3 days ago

Minister of Finance reheats austerity politics
This morning’s pre-Budget speech from the Minister of Finance offered no “meaningful” news on the Government’s trickle-down economics based plans. ...
Greens
3 days ago

A win for Wellington – Greens welcome more housing
The Green Party is welcoming the announcement by the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform Chris Bishop to approve most of the Wellington City Council’s District Plan recommendations. ...
Greens
4 days ago

Release: Backtrack on school lunches a win for Kiwi kids
David Seymour has failed to get the sweeping cuts he wanted to the free and healthy school lunch programme, Labour education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Release: Hon Willie Jackson to debate at the Prestigious Oxford Union
Hon Willie Jackson has been invited by the Oxford Union to debate the motion “This House Believes British Museums are not Very British’ on May 23rd. ...
Labour Blog
4 days ago

Members Bill will prevent Māori land confiscations
Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon says her Public Works (Prohibition of Compulsory Acquisition of Māori Land) Amendment Bill is an opportunity to right some past wrongs around the alienation of Māori land. ...
Greens
5 days ago

TIKANGA IS NOT LAW. IT IS CULTURAL INDOCTRINATION.
A senior, highly respected King’s Counsel with decades of experience in our law courts, Gary Judd KC, has filed a complaint about compulsory tikanga Māori studies for law students - highlighting the utter depths of absurdity this woke cultural madness has taken our society. The tikanga regulations will compel law ...
NZ First Press Release
5 days ago

Release: National won’t commit to full Nelson Hospital upgrade
The Government needs to be clear with the people of the Nelson Marlborough region about the changes it is considering for the Nelson Hospital rebuild, Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. ...
Labour Blog
5 days ago

Release: Labour calls for fast track list to be released
Ministers must front up about which projects it will push through under its Fast Track Approvals legislation, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
6 days ago

Release: National gaslights women fighting for equal pay
National has scrapped the pay equity taskforce that fights for equal pay for women and looks at ethnic pay gaps. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: More job cuts, fewer houses under National
The Government is again adding to New Zealand’s growing unemployment, this time cutting jobs at the agencies responsible for urban development and growing much needed housing stock. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Children fall deeper through the cracks in Govt cuts
With Minister Karen Chhour indicating in the House today that she either doesn’t know or care about the frontline cuts she’s making to Oranga Tamariki, we risk seeing more and more of our children falling through the cracks. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: Labour honours memory of Sir Robert Martin
The Labour Party is saddened to learn of the death of Sir Robert Martin, a globally renowned disability advocate who led the way for disability rights both in New Zealand and internationally. ...
Labour Blog
1 week ago

Release: 130,000 cattle saved from live export
Labour is calling for the Government to urgently rethink its coalition commitment to restart live animal exports, Labour animal welfare spokesperson Rachel Boyack said. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Central Bank makes clear Government is pouring fuel on housing crisis fire
Today’s Financial Stability Report has once again highlighted that poverty and deep inequality are political choices - and this Government is choosing to make them worse. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

New unemployment figures paint bleak picture
The Green Party is calling on the Government to do more for our households in most need as unemployment rises and the cost of living crisis endures. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: National’s job cuts already starting to bite as unemployment rises
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: National hiking transport costs for families and young New Zealanders
Weekly expenses will grow for more than 1.6 million New Zealanders as the Government ends free and half price public transport fares tomorrow. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: Labour welcomes EU free trade agreement
The New Zealand Labour Party welcomes the entering into force of the European Union and New Zealand free trade agreement. This agreement opens the door for a huge increase in trade opportunities with a market of 450 million people who are high value discerning consumers of New Zealand goods and ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Surprise: Landlord tax cuts don’t trickle down
The Green Party is renewing its call for rent controls following reports of rental prices hitting an all-time high. ...
Greens
2 weeks ago

Release: $1.7b for no increase in access to medicine
The National-led Government continues its fiscal jiggery pokery with its Pharmac announcement today, Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says. “The government has increased Pharmac funding but conceded it will only make minimal increases in access to medicine”, said Ayesha Verrall “This is far from the bold promises made to fund ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: National should heed Tribunal warning and scrap coalition commitment with ACT
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Release: More accountability for preventable workplace deaths this Workers’ Memorial Day
Labour is calling for more accountability for preventable workplace deaths because everybody who goes to work deserves to come home safely. ...
Labour Blog
2 weeks ago

Gaza: Aotearoa Must Support Independent Investigation into Mass Graves
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Māori Party
2 weeks ago

Release: Working together on consistent support for veterans this Anzac Day
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Penny drops – but what about Seymour and Peters?
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Another ‘Stolen Generation’ enabled by court ruling on Waitangi Tribunal summons
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
Māori Party
3 weeks ago

Release: Budget blunder shows Nicola Willis could cut recovery funding
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Further environmental mismanagement on the cards
The Government’s resource management reforms will add to the heavy and ever-growing burden this Government is loading on to our environment. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

Release: RMA changes will be a disaster for environment
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Labour supports urgent changes to emergency management system
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Labour calls for New Zealand to recognise Palestine
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Three strikes law political posturing of worst kind
The Government is bringing back a law that has little evidential backing just to look tough, Labour justice spokesperson Duncan Webb said. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Release: Government cuts unbelievably target child exploitation, violent extremism, ports and airpor...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
Labour Blog
3 weeks ago

Three strikes has failed before and will fail again
Resurrecting the archaic three-strikes legislation is an unwelcome return to a failed American-style approach to justice. ...
Greens
3 weeks ago

New Zealand supports UN Palestine resolution
New Zealand voted in favour of a resolution broadening Palestine’s participation at the United Nations General Assembly overnight, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The resolution enhances the rights of Palestine to participate in the work of the UN General Assembly while stopping short of admitting Palestine as a full ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 day ago

Speech to the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium
Introduction Good morning. It’s a great privilege to be here at the 2024 Infrastructure Symposium. I was extremely happy when the Prime Minister asked me to be his Minister for Infrastructure. It is one of the great barriers holding the New Zealand economy back from achieving its potential. Building high ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

$571 million for Defence pay and projects
Defence Minister Judith Collins today announced the upcoming Budget will include new funding of $571 million for Defence Force pay and projects. “Our servicemen and women do New Zealand proud throughout the world and this funding will help ensure we retain their services and expertise as we navigate an increasingly ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Climate change – mitigating the risks and costs
New Zealand’s ability to cope with climate change will be strengthened as part of the Government’s focus to build resilience as we rebuild the economy, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “An enduring and long-term approach is needed to provide New Zealanders and the economy with certainty as the climate ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 days ago

Getting new job seekers on the pathway to work
Jobseeker beneficiaries who have work obligations must now meet with MSD within two weeks of their benefit starting to determine their next step towards finding a job, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “A key part of the coalition Government’s plan to have 50,000 fewer people on Jobseeker ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Accelerating Social Investment
A new standalone Social Investment Agency will power-up the social investment approach, driving positive change for our most vulnerable New Zealanders, Social Investment Minister Nicola Willis says. “Despite the Government currently investing more than $70 billion every year into social services, we are not seeing the outcomes we want for ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

Getting Back on Track
Check against delivery Good morning. It is a pleasure to be with you to outline the Coalition Government’s approach to our first Budget. Thank you Mark Skelly, President of the Hutt Valley Chamber of Commerce, together with your Board and team, for hosting me. I’d like to acknowledge His Worship ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
3 days ago

NZ – European Union ties more critical than ever
Your Excellency Ambassador Meredith, Members of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassadors from European Union Member States, Ministerial colleagues, Members of Parliament, and other distinguished guests, Thank you everyone for joining us. Ladies and gentlemen - In diplomacy, we often speak of ‘close’ and ‘long-standing’ relations. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Therapeutic Products Act to be repealed
The Therapeutic Products Act (TPA) will be repealed this year so that a better regime can be put in place to provide New Zealanders safe and timely access to medicines, medical devices and health products, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The medicines and products we are talking about ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Decisions on Wellington City Council’s District Plan
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop, today released his decision on twenty recommendations referred to him by the Wellington City Council relating to its Intensification Planning Instrument, after the Council rejected those recommendations of the Independent Hearings Panel and made alternative recommendations. “Wellington notified its District Plan on ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Rape Awareness Week: Government committed to action on sexual violence
Rape Awareness Week (6-10 May) is an important opportunity to acknowledge the continued effort required by government and communities to ensure that all New Zealanders can live free from violence, say Ministers Karen Chhour and Louise Upston. “With 1 in 3 women and 1 in 8 men experiencing sexual violence ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Smarter lunch programme feeds more, costs less
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government will be delivering a more efficient Healthy School Lunches Programme, saving taxpayers approximately $107 million a year compared to how Labour funded it, by embracing innovation and commercial expertise. “We are delivering on our commitment to treat taxpayers’ money ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Report provides insights into marine recovery
New research on the impacts of extreme weather on coastal marine habitats in Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay will help fishery managers plan for and respond to any future events, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. A report released today on research by Niwa on behalf of Fisheries New Zealand ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

NZ to send political delegation to the Pacific
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will lead a broad political delegation on a five-stop Pacific tour next week to strengthen New Zealand’s engagement with the region. The delegation will visit Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and Tuvalu. “New Zealand has deep and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Low gas production threatens energy security
There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co. Figures released by the Gas Industry Company show that there was a 12.5 per cent reduction in gas production during 2023, and a 27.8 per cent reduction in gas production in the ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
4 days ago

Defence industry talent, commitment recognised
Defence Minister Judith Collins tonight announced the recipients of the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry, saying they all contribute to New Zealanders’ security and wellbeing. “Congratulations to this year’s recipients, whose innovative products and services play a critical role in the delivery of New Zealand’s defence capabilities, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Speech to the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence for Industry
Welcome to you all - it is a pleasure to be here this evening.I would like to start by thanking Greg Lowe, Chair of the New Zealand Defence Industry Advisory Council, for co-hosting this reception with me. This evening is about recognising businesses from across New Zealand and overseas who in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Speech to the Sixth Annual New Zealand Government Data Summit
It is a pleasure to be speaking to you as the Minister for Digitising Government. I would like to thank Akolade for the invitation to address this Summit, and to acknowledge the great effort you are making to grow New Zealand’s digital future. Today, we stand at the cusp of ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Ceasefire agreement needed now: Peters
New Zealand is urging both Israel and Hamas to agree to an immediate ceasefire to avoid the further humanitarian catastrophe that military action in Rafah would unleash, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. “The immense suffering in Gaza cannot be allowed to worsen further. Both sides have a responsibility to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Daily school attendance data now available
A new online data dashboard released today as part of the Government’s school attendance action plan makes more timely daily attendance data available to the public and parents, says Associate Education Minister David Seymour. The interactive dashboard will be updated once a week to show a national average of how ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

Ambassador to United States appointed
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Rosemary Banks will be New Zealand’s next Ambassador to the United States of America. “Our relationship with the United States is crucial for New Zealand in strategic, security and economic terms,” Mr Peters says. “New Zealand and the United States have a ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

New permit proposed for recreational gold mining
The Government is considering creating a new tier of minerals permitting that will make it easier for hobby miners to prospect for gold. “New Zealand was built on gold, it’s in our DNA. Our gold deposits, particularly in regions such as Otago and the West Coast have always attracted fortune-hunters. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

NZ and the UAE launch FTA negotiations
Minister for Trade Todd McClay today announced that New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will commence negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA). Minister McClay met with his counterpart UAE Trade Minister Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Dubai, where they announced the launch of negotiations on a ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
5 days ago

New Zealand Sign Language Week an opportunity for anyone to sign
New Zealand Sign Language Week is an excellent opportunity for all Kiwis to give the language a go, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. This week (May 6 to 12) is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) Week. The theme is “an Aotearoa where anyone can sign anywhere” and aims to ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Next stop NASA for New Zealand students
Six tertiary students have been selected to work on NASA projects in the US through a New Zealand Space Scholarship, Space Minister Judith Collins announced today. “This is a fantastic opportunity for these talented students. They will undertake internships at NASA’s Ames Research Center or its Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

$1.9 billion investment to keep NZ safe from crime
New Zealanders will be safer because of a $1.9 billion investment in more frontline Corrections officers, more support for offenders to turn away from crime, and more prison capacity, Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell says. “Our Government said we would crack down on crime. We promised to restore law and order, ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

OECD reinforces need to control spending
The OECD’s latest report on New Zealand reinforces the importance of bringing Government spending under control, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The OECD conducts country surveys every two years to review its members’ economic policies. The 2024 New Zealand survey was presented in Wellington today by OECD Chief Economist Clare Lombardelli. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
6 days ago

Agreement delivers Local Water Done Well for Auckland
The Government has delivered on its election promise to provide a financially sustainable model for Auckland under its Local Water Done Well plan. The plan, which has been unanimously endorsed by Auckland Council’s Governing Body, will see Aucklanders avoid the previously projected 25.8 per cent water rates increases while retaining ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Gaza and the Pacific on the agenda with Germany
Foreign Minister Winston Peters discussed the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and enhanced cooperation in the Pacific with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock during her first official visit to New Zealand today. "New Zealand and Germany enjoy shared interests and values, including the rule of law, democracy, respect for the international system ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Decision allows for housing growth in Western Bay of Plenty
The Minister Responsible for RMA Reform, Chris Bishop today released his decision on four recommendations referred to him by the Western Bay of Plenty District Council, opening the door to housing growth in the area. The Council’s Plan Change 92 allows more homes to be built in existing and new ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Speech to New Zealand China Council
Thank you, John McKinnon and the New Zealand China Council for the invitation to speak to you today. Thank you too, all members of the China Council. Your effort has played an essential role in helping to build, shape, and grow a balanced and resilient relationship between our two ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Modern insurance law will protect Kiwi households
The Government is modernising insurance law to better protect Kiwis and provide security in the event of a disaster, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly announced today. “These reforms are long overdue. New Zealand’s insurance law is complicated and dated, some of which is more than 100 years old. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Government recommits to equal pay
The coalition Government is refreshing its approach to supporting pay equity claims as time-limited funding for the Pay Equity Taskforce comes to an end, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis says. “Three years ago, the then-government introduced changes to the Equal Pay Act to support pay equity bargaining. The changes were ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Transforming how our children learn to read
Structured literacy will change the way New Zealand children learn to read - improving achievement and setting students up for success, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Being able to read and write is a fundamental life skill that too many young people are missing out on. Recent data shows that ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

NZ not backing down in Canada dairy dispute
Trade Minister Todd McClay says Canada’s refusal to comply in full with a CPTPP trade dispute ruling in our favour over dairy trade is cynical and New Zealand has no intention of backing down. Mr McClay said he has asked for urgent legal advice in respect of our ‘next move’ ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Stronger oversight for our most vulnerable children
The rights of our children and young people will be enhanced by changes the coalition Government will make to strengthen oversight of the Oranga Tamariki system, including restoring a single Children’s Commissioner. “The Government is committed to delivering better public services that care for our most at-risk young people and ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Streamlining Building Consent Changes
The Government is making it easier for minor changes to be made to a building consent so building a home is easier and more affordable, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “The coalition Government is focused on making it easier and cheaper to build homes so we can ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
1 week ago

Minister acknowledges passing of Sir Robert Martin (KNZM)
New Zealand lost a true legend when internationally renowned disability advocate Sir Robert Martin (KNZM) passed away at his home in Whanganui last night, Disabilities Issues Minister Louise Upston says. “Our Government’s thoughts are with his wife Lynda, family and community, those he has worked with, the disability community in ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Speech to New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, Parliament – Annual Lecture: Challenges ...
Good evening – Before discussing the challenges and opportunities facing New Zealand’s foreign policy, we’d like to first acknowledge the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs. You have contributed to debates about New Zealand foreign policy over a long period of time, and we thank you for hosting us. ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Accelerating airport security lines
From today, passengers travelling internationally from Auckland Airport will be able to keep laptops and liquids in their carry-on bags for security screening thanks to new technology, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “Creating a more efficient and seamless travel experience is important for holidaymakers and businesses, enabling faster movement through ...
BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
2 weeks ago

Pre-budget teasers increase exposure – and scrutiny
Mediawatch looks at how one pre-Budget announcement played well for a minister last week - but this week, one was badly botched. ...
Radio NZ – political
5 hours ago

NZ delivers humanitarian supplies to disaster-hit PNG provinces
PNG Post-Courier New Zealand High Commissioner Peter Zwart and PNG Defence Minister Dr Billy Joseph welcomed a C-130 Hercules to Port Moresby this week to support Papua New Guinea’s response to the March 24 earthquake and recent severe flooding. “Papua New Guinea has requested New Zealand’s assistance to transport emergency ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
13 hours ago

An Ode to .. Seymour
Grub Street King Luxon rode through the streets Of King’s Landing, and was troubled By the sight of hungry urchins in the mud. “Who would be the best of my Lords To deal with this negative optic?” He pondered. The answer came to him instantly. “Seymour!” he said to himself. ...
NewsroomBy Victor Billot
15 hours ago

Fast Track Bill Should Be Withdrawn
“The Bill does not provide environmental protection, good quality decision making, certainty, public participation or speed. It should be withdrawn.” ...
Scoop politics
22 hours ago

TVNZ breached union pact when deciding on programme cuts, ERA rules
RNZ News Television New Zealand has breached its collective agreement with the E tū union when deciding on discontinuing programmes, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled. It was announced in March that 68 staff members who work for news programmes Midday and Tonight, consumer justice programme Fair Go, current affairs ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
22 hours ago

Fast-track Approvals Bill: Chief Ombudsman calls for accountability by law
Democracy will be the "loser" if sweeping executive powers are granted to ministers under the new bill, the Chief Ombudsman warns. ...
Radio NZ – political
23 hours ago

NZ’s first Pinoy Green MP Francisco Hernandez talks climate policy and activism
Asia Pacific Report Barangay New Zealand’s Rene Molina has interviewed the country’s first Filipino Green MP Francisco Hernandez who was sworn into Parliament yesterday as the party’s latest member. This is the first interview with Hernandez who replaces former Green Party co-leader James Shaw after his retirement from politics to ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
1 day ago

Australian Strategic Policy Institute warns AUKUS could 'crush' its defence industry
An Australian Strategic Policy Institute report says Pillar Two could raise the industry to state of the art capability - or "crush" it "under the weight of the globe's biggest player". ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Indigenous women are most affected by domestic violence but have struggled to be heard. It’s time ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlene Longbottom, Associate Professor, Indigenous Education & Research Centre, James Cook University Shutterstock This article contains information on deaths in custody and the violence experienced by First Nations people in encounters with the Australian carceral system. It also contains references to ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
1 day ago

UN vote: NZ supports 'enhancing Palestine's status' – Peters
New Zealand has voted in favour of a resolution to broaden the Palestinian role at the United Nations General Assembly. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Cold houses to blame for people needing to 'blast the heater' – Green Building Counc...
New Zealand's housing building standards are decades behind most other countries in the OECD, green building advocates say. ...
Radio NZ – political
1 day ago

Austerity For Everyone Except Weapons Dealers
“Instead of following along countries that are investing in death and better ways of killing people faster, we need to invest in life and in making Aotearoa a fair, just and equitable place where everyone has what they need for a dignified life.” ...
Scoop politics
1 day ago

The Secret Diary of .. Te Pāti Māori
MARIAMENO KAPA-KINGI, TPM MP FOR TAI TOKERAU This Government will not waver in its mission to exterminate Māori. CHRISTOPHER LUXON Oh well look you know I don’t think that hard-working Kiwis want to hear language like that. It’s just really unhelpful rhetoric. My Government is genuinely committed to advancing outcomes ...
NewsroomBy Steve Braunias
1 day ago

When body positivity morphs into toxic masculinity
The body positivity movement started with women confronting the unrealistic expectations and unrepresentative portrayals of them in media and advertising. Men weren’t part of it … their bodies hadn’t been sexualised to the same extremes and they didn’t really need it. But now that’s changed. And in a warped sort ...
NewsroomBy Davina Zimmer
1 day ago

‘A curse and a blessing’: Ginette McDonald on how Lyn of Tawa changed her life
The New Zealand comedy legend takes us through her life in television, including the time she hugged Elton John and the unshakeable legacy of a girl named Lyn. In 1981, Ginette McDonald stood on the stage of Auckland’s St James Theatre and directly addressed Queen Elizabeth II. It was a ...
The SpinoffBy My Life in TV
1 day ago

‘Mothering looked beautiful but also chaotic and stifling’: On flatting with a newborn
An essay by Lily Duval from the just-released anthology Otherhood: Essays on being childless, childfree and child adjacent. I was 22 when my friend Alice gave birth in the living room of our pokey Addington flat. She laboured in the blow-up pool for hours. Garish fish swam along the inflated ...
The SpinoffBy Lily Duval
1 day ago

Motherhood: A reading journey
Ella Borrie on the best books about motherhood she’s come across so far. Over the past few years I’ve been drawn to books about motherhood. I’m fascinated by the joys and horrors of becoming a parent. The question of children also feels more pressing than it used to. It’s like ...
The SpinoffBy Ella Borrie
1 day ago

The Steve Awards 2024: Honouring the year’s worst Mother’s Day marketing
Out of gift ideas for mum? You can’t go wrong with a bottle of toilet cleaner and a new squeegee. Emily Writes is the writer and editor of Emily Writes Weekly. This week marks five years since I published a post on The Spinoff about Mother’s Day marketing titled ‘A ...
The SpinoffBy Emily Writes
1 day ago

The Sunday Essay: A buzzy year
My husband is posted overseas for 12 months and I’m armed with an expensive, newfangled vibrator. Will I miss him? The Sunday Essay is made possible thanks to the support of Creative New Zealand. A few days after my husband leaves, a new sex toy arrives at the front door. Nestled ...
The SpinoffBy Penny Burrows
1 day ago

Tracing four decades of Wellington street art
Jaimie Baird’s new book Here Today Gone Tomorrow is a record of four decades of graffiti and street art in Wellington, told through more than 1,200 photographs. He spoke with Joel MacManus about what inspired the book. How did you first get interested in photographing street art? I remember ...
The SpinoffBy Joel MacManus
1 day ago

The Weekend: How the woke sausage is made
Editor Madeleine Chapman looks back at a busy week where food of all political leanings dominated. Sometimes you’re just going about your week thinking you’ve got a good handle on what might be coming as far as news topics and then someone (usually a politician) says something so ridiculous that ...
The SpinoffBy Madeleine Chapman
1 day ago

The Boy in the Water: Police caught in ‘zone of uncertainty’
In a week of cold rain and frost, the climate in courtroom four upstairs at the Invercargill courthouse was simmering with restrained indignation. At times it felt like the famous Mexican standoff scene from Reservoir Dogs, or, as someone watching the proceedings described it, there was so much throwing of ...
NewsroomBy Bonnie Sumner
1 day ago

Short story: Message me, by Lucy O’Connor
A banner notification alerts me to the fact that I’ve received an Instagram message from @felicity.loves. She always comments on my posts. I shouldn’t have opened the message, but clicked on the notification before rationalising this. OMG! Are you in Wellys? X I debate not replying, but Instagram will inform ...
NewsroomBy Lucy O’Connor
1 day ago

Callum Donaldson has his head in the game
In Melbourne’s hardscrabble western suburbs where AFL – Aussie rules football – is a state religion, Callum Donaldson has been quietly grafting away, four months into an odyssey that he hopes will take him to another promised land: the NRL. It was a solid 2023 for the softly spoken 20-year-old ...
NewsroomBy Peter Malcouronne
1 day ago

TVNZ Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver awarded ONZM for investigative journalism
Pacific Media Watch Television New Zealand Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to investigative journalism and Pacific communities in a ceremony at Government House, reports 1News. She has been the Pacific correspondent for 1News since 2002, breaking many ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
2 days ago

Budget to pledge billions more in funds and fresh effort to tackle intractable housing crisis
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Tuesday’s budget will respond to the deepening public agitation over Australia’s housing shortages by pouring new money into crisis accommodation for women and children, social housing and infrastructure. A specially-convened national cabinet late Friday ticked ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Pacific journalists are world’s ‘eyes and ears’ on climate crisis, says EU envoy
By Kaneta Naimatu in Suva Journalists in the Pacific region play an important role as the “eyes and ears on the ground” when it comes to reporting the climate crisis, says the European Union’s Pacific Ambassador Barbara Plinkert. Speaking at The University of the South Pacific (USP) on World Press ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
2 days ago

Why the Defence Force has been calling for a Budget boost
Failing accommodation, tarmac problems and a deteriorating naval base were all laid bare before a $571 million spend-up was unveiled today. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Back in Black: Aldora’s year gets even better
Aldora Itunu is back in the Black Ferns squad after a three-year absence. The last of her 24 internationals was an underwhelming loss to France (7-29) in Castres to conclude the disastrous 2021 Northern Tour. The powerhouse prop won a Rugby World Cup in 2017 and thought she was done. ...
NewsroomBy Adam Julian
2 days ago

‘Who’s actually governing this city?’
The fight to control major transport policy and projects in Auckland has burst into the open again, with councillors rejecting Mayor Wayne Brown’s latest attempt to steer things more under his influence. Councillors from the left and right broke ranks on the mayor’s bid to control Auckland Transport more directly ...
NewsroomBy Tim Murphy
2 days ago

The return of .. Raw Politics
Exhausted by the general election campaign, horrified by the twilight zone of coalition negotiations, distracted by the silly season and waiting for the honeymoon to begin, Raw Politics has been in hibernation since October. From today, we’re back. Our weekly political video show and podcast returns for ...
NewsroomBy Tim Murphy
2 days ago

New Caledonia marks Armistice Day with new NZ war memorial
By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Authorities in the small town of Boulouparis have commemorated Armistice Day on May 8 with a new memorial honouring New Zealand soldiers who were stationed in New Caledonia during World War II. The ceremony took place in the township on the ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
2 days ago

High Court dismisses key challenge to indefinite immigration detention. What does it mean?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Dehm, Senior lecturer, international migration and refugee law, University of Technology Sydney The High Court unanimously ruled today that the Australian government can keep asylum seekers in immigration detention indefinitely in cases where they do not “voluntarily” cooperate with their own ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

A brief history of found footage video art – and where Macklemore’s Hind’s Hall fits in
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kim Munro, Lecturer, Creative Industries and Digital Media, University of South Australia Twenty-four hours after the release of Macklemore’s pro-Palestine protest song Hind’s Hall on social media on May 7, the video had already notched up over 24 million views. In ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Transmission Gully could need new builder – Infrastructure Commission review
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Transmission Gully could need new bulider – Infrastructure Commission review
Failing to anticipate the complexity of the consenting system is being cited as the the current builder's shortcomings, an Infrastructure Commission review says. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Proposed repeal of Oranga Tamariki Act section 7AA breaches Treaty of Waitangi – Tribunal
The government is planning to repeal Treaty obligations from the Oranga Tamariki Act. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Committee Silences Majority Of Submitters On Fast-track Bill
350 Aotearoa is calling the Environment Select Committee’s decision to allow oral submissions from just 40% of individual, unique submitters who asked to speak to the committee ‘a disgraceful blight to democracy’. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

Sky-high vanity: constructing the world’s tallest buildings creates high emissions
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Helal, Assistant Dean (Sustainability), The University of Melbourne Dubai skyline AleksandarPasaric/Pexels Since ancient times, people have built structures that reach for the skies – from the steep spires of medieval towers to the grand domes of ancient cathedrals and mosques. Today ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

How can we measure the size of Australia’s illegal cannabis market – and the billions in taxes t...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jenny Williams, Professor of Economics, The University of Melbourne Canna Obscura/Shutterstock At the end of this month, a senate inquiry by the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee is due to hand down its report on a bill to legalise cannabis. ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Wearable devices can now harvest our brain data. Australia needs urgent privacy reforms
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Musole, PhD Law Student, University of New England Girts Ragelis/Shutterstock Recent trends show Australians are increasingly buying wearables such as smartwatches and fitness trackers. These electronics track our body movements or vital signs to provide data throughout the day, with ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Labour Up, Greens Down But Centre-Right Remains Ahead
This is the first time since February that voters have had a net positive view of the country direction. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

RNZAF Hercules, NZDF Personnel Arrive In Papua New Guinea To Help Distribute Relief Supplies
Papua New Guinea experienced a significant earthquake on 24 March in East Sepik and there has also been recent flooding there and in surrounding provinces. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

Sleep wrinkles are real. Here’s how they leave their mark
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yousuf Mohammed, Dermatology researcher, The University of Queensland Maridav/Shutterstock You wake up, stagger to the bathroom and gaze into the mirror. No, you’re not imagining it. You’ve developed face wrinkles overnight. They’re sleep wrinkles. Sleep wrinkles are temporary. But as your ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Week in Politics: Triumph and disaster, but no austerity
Analysis - A big announcement about Auckland's water woes was overshadowed by a chaotic press conference about prisons, Peter Wilson writes. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Community Groups Furious That Government Silencing Hundreds In Fast-Track Hearings
The Environment Select Committee has just announced that 60 percent of individuals who asked to speak at the hearings will not be heard. This equates to almost 700 people who made individual submissions and more than 1000 more who made a form submission. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

Review: Swan Lake is a reminder of how much work it takes to look effortless
The Royal New Zealand Ballet is performing Swan Lake around the country. What kind of dream does the ballet sell? Before going to see the Royal New Zealand Ballet perform Swan Lake, I had about as much familiarity with the plot of this ballet as could be expected from having ...
The SpinoffBy Shanti Mathias
2 days ago

The Friday Poem: ‘High Tide at Local Maxima’ by Eamonn Tee
A new poem by Auckland poet Eamonn Tee. High Tide at Local Maxima It is only going to get worse. The streams will be narrow and fickle. The week will bend and buckle like a pot-bellied waist. You will make it to the weekend with one ...
The SpinoffBy Eamonn Tee
2 days ago

The plastic-heavy drinks industry is in for a shake-up
The New Zealand entrepreneur behind beauty business Ethique is gearing up to launch a new eco-venture. This is an excerpt from our weekly environmental newsletter Future Proof. Sign up here. Our thirst for a tasty bevvy is insatiable, but it comes with a hefty plastic price for the planet: 580 billion ...
The SpinoffBy Ellen Rykers
2 days ago

The Unity Books bestseller chart for the week ending May 10
The only published and available best-selling indie book chart in New Zealand is the top 10 sales list recorded every week at Unity Books’ stores in High St, Auckland, and Willis St, Wellington. AUCKLAND 1 James by Percival Everett (Mantle, $38) A retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from ...
The SpinoffBy The Spinoff Review of Books
2 days ago

Puna calls for Pacific ‘journalistic vigilance’ in face of climate crisis
By Kamna Kumar in Suva Pacific Islands Forum Secretary-General Henry Puna stressed the importance of media freedom and its link to the climate and environmental crisis at the 2024 World Press Freedom Day event organised by the University of the South Pacific’s journalism programme. Under the theme “A Planet for ...
Evening ReportBy Asia Pacific Report
2 days ago

Downsizing Of ERO Inconsistent With Govt Priority Of Lifting Student Achievement
The PSA is concerned that Government spending cuts have forced ERO to downsize at a time when student achievement is a significant challenge. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

Education Review Office set to cut 13 jobs, union says
The Education Review Office is set to cut 13 jobs, the Public Service Association says. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Judith Collins announces $571 million Defence spend-up
An extra half a billion dollars is going to Defence in this year's Budget for pay and equipment upgrades, the Defence Minister has announced. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

This new TVNZ anthology is Motherhood as you’ve never seen it before
Tara Ward previews a new local TV series offering alternative visions of motherhood. This is an excerpt from our weekly pop culture newsletter Rec Room. Sign up here. A woman is clambering up the side of her two-story house, clinging desperately to a drainpipe. Nearby, her child is perched on the ...
The SpinoffBy Tara Ward
2 days ago

LGNZ Supportive Of Cross-party Approach To Climate Adaptation
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) is supportive of the cross-party approach to climate adaptation announced by the Minister of Climate Change today. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

SBC And CLC Welcome Bipartisan Climate Adaptation Inquiry
The Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome today’s announcement from Government around a bipartisan inquiry into an enduring climate adaptation framework for New Zealand. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

Another Victory For Free Speech: DIA Abandons Proposals For Online Censorship
The Free Speech Union welcomes the decision by the Department of Internal Affairs, and Minister Brooke Van Velden, to abandon proposals to further regulate online speech. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

Confused or playing for time? 3 possible reasons NZ is taking so long to make a call on AUKUS
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert G. Patman, Professor of International Relations, University of Otago Getty Images New Zealand governments have been actively exploring the option of joining pillar two of AUKUS for over a year now. But according to foreign minister Winston Peters, the government ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Archives NZ says it has enough space – for now
Its new building in Wellington will not be nearly big enough for all its records, and it has also run out of money to build its new storage facility in Levin. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Consensus Welcomed
BusinessNZ is congratulating the Minister of Climate Change for his work in achieving cross-party consensus for a way forward on climate adaptation. ...
Scoop politics
2 days ago

How many lives is that tax cut worth?
Recent research reveals the repeal of smokefree measures is not only bad for our health, but also the economy. The Government has repealed various smokefree measures to ensure it keeps collecting $1.2 billion a year in tobacco taxes, in order to pay for tax cuts already being delivered to ...
The SpinoffBy When the Facts Change
2 days ago

How the Phoenix went from wooden spoon favourites to title contenders
The club’s surprisingly good season is built on the desire to prove a random A-League YouTuber wrong… and a few other factors. “There’s no way that Wellington Phoenix play finals this year. I can’t see it happening at all.” Those are the words of Lachlan Raeside, an Australian football content ...
The SpinoffBy Mathew Nash
2 days ago

Ministry cuts will harm Pacific health, wellbeing – union
The PSA is warning cuts at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples will have severe consequences for the health and wellbeing of Pasifika families. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Power shortages: What's being done to keep the lights on?
Officials are looking at better ways of choosing who gets the power during shortages amid relentlessly growing demands. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

No more bad accents, stereotypes or cringe: why the rise of multilingual TV is good news for everyon...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By César Albarrán-Torres, Senior Lecturer, Department of Media and Communication, Swinburne University of Technology Apple TV+ As one of billions of bilingual individuals in the world, it disappoints me when a film or TV show with characters of a non-English-speaking background is ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

It’s time to ditch Berhampore Golf Course
The under-utilised course is a waste of space, and with a little political will, it could be turned into something better. For the duration of her stay in Wellington, my long-suffering cousin listened to me rant about golf courses. They’re bad for the environment: water intensive and pesticide heavy. They ...
The SpinoffBy Kristin Kelly
2 days ago

Women in rich countries are having fewer kids, or none at all. What’s going on?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leah Ruppanner, Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of The Future of Work Lab, Podcast at MissPerceived, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock A recent report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows US fertility rates dropped 2% in ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

We looked at over 166,000 psychiatric records. Over half showed people were admitted against their w...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Corderoy, Medical doctor and PhD candidate studying involuntary psychiatric treatment, School of Psychiatry, UNSW Sydney shop_py/Shutterstock Picture two people, both suffering from a serious mental illness requiring hospital admission. One was born in Australia, the other in Asia. Hopefully, ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Feral horses in Australia’s high country are damaging peatlands, decreasing carbon stores
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Treby, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, RMIT University P.j.Hickox, Shutterstock Peatlands store more carbon per square metre than any other ecosystem on Earth. These waterlogged, mossy bogs beat even dense rainforests for their ability to act as carbon reservoirs. Under the ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Andrew Tate’s extreme views about women are infiltrating Australian schools. We need a zero-tolera...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Wescott, Lecturer in Education, Monash University RDNE Stock Project/ Pexels , CC BY Earlier this week, two students were expelled from a Melbourne private school for their involvement in creating a spreadsheet that ranked girls using sexist and violent categories ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Yes, spending on health is growing, but new research shows we’re getting more for it
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Goss, Adjunct Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra Government spending on health has been growing so rapidly that a decade ago the then health minister Peter Dutton called it “unmanageable” and “unsustainable”. Health spending grew in real terms by ...
Evening ReportBy The Conversation
2 days ago

Govt must regulate to smooth EVs and data centres' demand on power grids – Vector
New Zealand's largest electricity distributor is warning the country to hurry up with controls around charging electric vehicles or face unnecessary bills running into the billions. ...
Radio NZ – political
2 days ago

Could you be about to lose your power?
New Zealanders have been asked to conserve energy this morning to combat a possible electricity shortfall, writes Stewart Sowman-Lund in this extract from The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. A call to conserve power New Zealand is facing a possible electricity shortfall, with people up ...
The SpinoffBy Stewart Sowman-Lund
2 days ago

What actually are the Ockhams?
Writer Rebecca K Reilly breaks down the national book awards. What are the Ockhams? The Ockham New Zealand Book Awards are our annual national awards for books published for adults, and have existed in this form since 2016. There are four categories: Fiction, Poetry, General Non-fiction and Illustrated Non-fiction. There ...
The SpinoffBy Rebecca K Reilly
2 days ago

Skyfall comes to Wellington

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