Slapdown

Written By: - Date published: 7:45 am, November 7th, 2019 - 66 comments
Categories: iain lees galloway, immigration, jacinda ardern, labour, nz first, Politics, racism, racism, Shane Jones, uncategorized, winston peters - Tags:

 

Politics and particularly New Zealand First has become pretty ugly lately.

Changes in Immigration policy has meant that the partners of Kiwis who have entered into arranged marriages were finding it more and more difficult to come to New Zealand.

This caused considerable consternation among the Indian community who was particularly affected at the delays that were caused and the rapid decline in approvals being granted.

Shane Jones then went full Trumpian, got out the flamethrower and gave everyone a good spray.  From Jo Moir at Radio New Zealand:

… [S]enior New Zealand First MP and Cabinet minister Shane Jones told RNZ he was saddened by the “levels of verbiage that the Indian communal leadership have thrown at the party”.

“I would just say to the activists from the Indian community, tame down your rhetoric, you have no legitimate expectations in my view to bring your whole village to New Zealand and if you don’t like it and you’re threatening to go home – catch the next flight home.”

Peters had a spray as well.

Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters was happy to take the credit for a tougher approach to partnership visas.

“Has New Zealand First had an influence on trying to tidy up the quality of information on which the immigration department relies? The answer is profoundly yes.”

It was simple, he said, you’re either a partner under New Zealand law, or you’re not.

“It’s clear as daylight – they’re not partners – full stop”, he said.

And to make sure that no one missed the dog whistle Jones gave it another blow last Tuesday.  From Collette Devlin at Stuff:

New Zealand First MP Shane Jones is making no apology for his “racist” comments aimed at the Indian community and wants to see a tougher crackdown on immigration with a national population policy.

He told Stuff on Tuesday he was speaking on behalf of “battalions” of “ordinary Kiwis who were highly anxious” about population growth putting stress on state services and infrastructure.

Things became that ridiculous Simon Bridges accurately described Jones’ comments as distasteful and wrong.  I wonder how he feels about National’s belief that two Chinese candidates are worth more than two Indian candidates.

Immigration New Zealand said that the policy was not racist.  New Zealand First was clearly trying its best to make it appear that the policy was racist.

I am pleased that Jacinda Ardern has stepped in and required Immigration New Zealand to reverse the policy.  From Derek Cheng at the Herald:

Immigration NZ is to blame for the partnership visa rules that have upset the Indian community and those changes will be reversed, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says.

The issue has upset the Indian community, which says that the stricter interpretation of the rules – including for couples to have lived together for 12 months – meant that many spouses in arranged marriages did not qualify.

It led to a verbal stoush between the Indian community and New Zealand First MP Shane Jones, whose fiery comments including telling immigrants to leave the country if they did not like the rules.

The Indian community accused Jones of racism, which he strongly rejected – though he said he would continue to be vocal on immigration issues as it was fertile vote-winning ground for New Zealand First.

Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway has said he would review the rules in light of the Indian community’s concerns, but Ardern went a step further today.

“That was changed as a result of Immigration NZ officials, changing the way they were operating,” Ardern said.

“They did not do that under the authority of Cabinet … it was a decision made arbitrarily by officials.

“My expectation is that will reverse back to the status quo and the way it was operating before.”

Well done Jacinda.  And if you need any reason to work for a Labour-Green coalition Government next year I think this is all that you need.

66 comments on “Slapdown ”

  • Comments are now closed

  1. Sanctuary 1
    7 November 2019 at 8:09 am

    The bitching and moaning from the Indian migrant community at New Zealand exercising it's right to set it's migration rules is, I suppose, a tribute to the robustness of Indian democracy. But not much else.

  2. Stuart Munro. 2
    7 November 2019 at 8:26 am

    There's no racism here – the Indian community self-selected this difficulty. The trials required of long term cohabiting spouses by Immigration are not trivial, but these activists expect a free pass on cultural grounds, and the real reason is that they have became accustomed to doing any damned thing they please under the ineffectual administration of the Key Kleptocracy.

    Labour will shed support big time on this issue, there is little or no support either for mass immigration or for the disingenuous faux racism claims of the kind raised against Corbyn/antisemitism, Twyford/Chinese names, and now Jones/Indians. Lees Galloway should concern himself with protecting NZ's enlightened best interests rather than trying to curry favour with a cynical interest group who won't be voting for him anyway.

    • mickysavage 2.1
      7 November 2019 at 8:41 am

      Why should it hurt? All that is happening is that the previous policy is being reinstated.

      • Stuart Munro. 2.1.1
        7 November 2019 at 8:47 am

        The previous policy of selectively not enforcing the law.

        Ask anyone who has brought a partner through the Byzantine malice and incompetence of the Immigration maze if they think an exception should be made for arranged marriages – they'll be speechless.

        • greywarshark 2.1.1.1
          7 November 2019 at 9:40 am

          Sounds like the immigration people are leaders in the cesspool division of New Zealand 'public servants'. 'Byzantine malice and incompetence of the Immigration maze'!

          Oranga Tamariki are in that division, and of course WINZ winding down the old, though grudging, respect for people as part of the overall citizens NZ population to – clients – customers – deplorables! Like a reverse of that sequence of ape ascending into proud man.

          • Stuart Munro. 2.1.1.1.1
            7 November 2019 at 10:08 am

            The stories coming out of folk interacting with MBIE would put them in the naughty corner too.

      • Dukeofurl 2.1.2
        7 November 2019 at 8:54 am

        How can that be . The rule of a stable permanent relationship was the previous policy and still is for all countries including those born and lived their whole life here.

        What had happened was the 'discretion exception for special cases' became the standard option for India only.

        What happens now for older male Kiwis who want mail order brides from Philippines or Ukraine. Do we have to say this is an appropriate way to give a relationship visa because 'these things happen' and picking women from a catalogue is an 'arranged marriage' too?

      • Sanctuary 2.1.3
        7 November 2019 at 8:55 am

        It will work because the neoliberal/establishment consensus around high levels of Asian and Indian immigration is (and always has been) actually just an elite consensus. New Zealanders were never asked if we wanted make 15% – and growing – of our population Asian and Indian within a generation and a lot of native born New Zealanders – including a ton of Ngati Pakeha and Maori (Maori can see the writing on the wall for their status under our current offically bi-cultural policies and of the centrality of the Treaty of Waitangi) – don't like it.

        NZ First was founded as an anti-immigration, and therefore anti-establishment, party. By rarking up simmering ambient resentment at unasked for mass immigration they can damage both Labour and National but especially Labour, because they are far more identified with identity politics (this will quickly morph into a Brexit style culture war) than National.

        • Sacha 2.1.3.1
          7 November 2019 at 8:58 am

          Damaging Labour? Winston First leaving themselves with only the Nats as coalition partners at the next election seems a tad risky given their current fraught relationships.

          • Dukeofurl 2.1.3.1.1
            7 November 2019 at 9:06 am

            The Clarke and Key rule of politics says that a the major party 'takes under its wing' as many coalition parties as possible, not the minimum number.

            Labour will always look to have Greens and NZF with them in government and any others that want to go along for the ride. Im sure the leaders of the Greens know that , even if many Greens supporters here seem to have the mistaken belief it may be Greens OR NZFirst.

            • Sacha 2.1.3.1.1.1
              7 November 2019 at 1:57 pm

              It's not the Greens who have ruled out working with Winston First. Why do you think there are no Greens inside cabinet.

        • Paddington 2.1.3.2
          7 November 2019 at 1:23 pm

          Labour have been damaged far more by perceptions around who is actually running the coalition, with NZF disrupting Labour policy on a number of occasions.

          This move by the PM is likely to help Labour, but watch out for more NZF outbursts as they try to differentiate themselves going into next years election.

    • observer 2.2
      7 November 2019 at 8:43 am

      You're mixing up multiple issues with a spurious label of "Indian community".

      The government has rightly moved to stop the fake diploma and visa scams, which was a significant part of the uncontrolled immigration. They've cracked down on unscrupulous employers too. This issue is not about "mass immigration", but individual rights. The PM understands this, even if you do not.

      And jibes like "Bollywood" from Jones are as unsubtle as it gets.

      • Stuart Munro. 2.2.1
        7 November 2019 at 8:55 am

        It's not a spurious label, though of course it should include the Pakistani community, who also practice arranged marriage. If Labour want to accommodate arranged marriages, they should draft appropriate legislation, not try to slip it under the radar like the sleazy crooks on the other side of the debating chamber.

        Our rules are not made in contemplation of such arrangements, any more than our social welfare rules were designed to accommodate the polygamous marriages of some refugee communities.

        The government has not gone far enough on immigration – 50 000 is better than 70 000, but the implicit design of massively increasing our population has neither a moral, nor a popular, nor in fact an economic mandate. WTF do they think they are doing?

        • Sacha 2.2.1.1
          7 November 2019 at 9:06 am

          If Labour want to accommodate arranged marriages, they should draft appropriate legislation, not try to slip it under the radar

          Agreed. However the PM is saying the agency's managers made that decision, not Ministers.

          • Stuart Munro. 2.2.1.1.1
            7 November 2019 at 10:01 am

            An opposition worthy of the name would make hay from such an assertion.

            "You can't control your officials? Golly – what are you doing in government?"

    • Sacha 2.3
      7 November 2019 at 8:55 am

      they have became accustomed to doing any damned thing they please under the ineffectual administration of the Key Kleptocracy.

      Bought and paid for.

  3. observer 3
    7 November 2019 at 8:38 am

    Shane Jones won't change. But his job can.

    The PM has been given plenty of reasons to sack him. If NZF don't like that and want to pull the government down, they will be signing their own suicide note. Let them.

    And it's not just about whether you agree with Jones or not. Ministers have specific roles, and need to stick to them, which is why James Shaw doesn't tell Hipkins what to do in the education portfolio, and David Clark doesn't pretend he's the Foreign Minister. Government discipline 101.

    But Shane Jones thinks he's too big for any of that. He needs to discover how small he really is.

    • Sacha 3.1
      7 November 2019 at 8:51 am

      I'd say the PM will be hoping for voters to solve the problem for her next year. Imagine having to put up with smug flaccid arsewipes like Jones every week.

    • Dukeofurl 3.2
      7 November 2019 at 9:02 am

      "And it's not just about whether you agree with Jones or not. Ministers have specific roles, and need to stick to them, "

      Havent read the Labour NZ First Coalition agreement which Ardern signed have you

      "As provided for in the Cabinet Manual, the Parties will “agree to disagree” where negotiated between party leaders, and in such circumstances the Parties will be free to express alternative views publicly, and in Parliament."

      Im still amazed at the people who think MMP hasnt arrived and Coalition governments havent changed the way rival parties speak on various issues.

      • observer 3.2.1
        7 November 2019 at 9:10 am

        No other minister abuses that agreement in the way that Jones does. It is simply not a matter of policy differences, it is a deliberate – and increasingly desperate – tactic to get NZF above 5%.

        The Greens disagree with many policies and still behave like grown-ups. Shane Jones is what he is – a man-child whose self-regard vastly outweighs his talents.

        • Dukeofurl 3.2.1.1
          7 November 2019 at 9:34 am

          So every time they have a disagreement , its should be like grownups and kept out of public ?

          What do you really know about politics ?

          • observer 3.2.1.1.1
            7 November 2019 at 9:50 am

            Enough to see a reductio ad absurdum.

            • Dukeofurl 3.2.1.1.1.1
              7 November 2019 at 9:56 am

              More like when you agree with the party who is airing the differences- Greens- its seen as 'Adult'

              What did you think of the 'slapdown' of Greens over the reversal by labour ministers of the Waihi tailings dam consent?

              • observer …
                7 November 2019 at 10:01 am

                As I pointed out … the Ministers act in their portfolios. See? It's not hard.

                Disagreements aren't the problem. Bad faith is.

                Name one example in the last two years of Green or Labour Ministers doing what Jones is doing. Go on.

                • Dukeofurl …
                  7 November 2019 at 10:10 am

                  Didnt even read my comment either.

                  Coalition Party – NZF can speak out about any bloody issue they like Read it !

                  Parties will be free to express alternative views publicly, and in Parliament."

                  Sticking to your portfolio in this context is for labour ministers.

                  Whats the point of contributing when you have made your mind up regardless of the evidence to the contrary. Yes you dont agree, but its not some 'convention' at all.

  4. Sacha 4
    7 November 2019 at 8:49 am

    “They did not do that under the authority of Cabinet … it was a decision made arbitrarily by officials.

    That agency has had major culture problems for decades. Let's see some proper internal accountability for decisions like this. And if Winston First want to applaud the miscreants instead, let's at least hear their names and proud backgrounds.

    • Dukeofurl 4.1
      7 November 2019 at 9:11 am

      A Decision to stick to the long time policy of a 'stable and permanent relationship' ?

      https://www.immigration.govt.nz/new-zealand-visas/apply-for-a-visa/tools-and-information/support-family/partnership

      Assessing partnership

      When we assess if you meet our partnership requirements, we'll look at things like:

      • how long you’ve been together
      • how long you've been living together as a couple
      • your living arrangements
      • whether you support each other financially
      • how you share financial responsibilities
      • how committed you are to a life together
      • whether you own property together and/or share your property
      • any children you have together, including your arrangements for their care
      • whether you share common household tasks
      • whether other people recognise your relationship.

      Evidence of partnership

      You and your partner must provide enough evidence to show us that you're living together in a genuine and stable relationship.

      What was the Agency culture you have a problem with ?

  5. Blazer 5
    7 November 2019 at 9:47 am

    Marriages of convenience are reserved for Indian immigrants only…talk about…currying…favour.no

  6. tc 6
    7 November 2019 at 9:58 am

    Fantastic, NZF and national fighting over the dog whistle. This should be very entertaining and will allow JA to rise above the twitteratti styled spin with a clear concise campaign.

    Try not to F this one up labour.

  7. Stuart Munro. 7
    7 November 2019 at 10:29 am

    If Labour are serious about the responsibilities of a state soliciting migrants, and they want to create a system that accommodates arranged marriage, then it is desirable that they create some protections for dowry brides and the like.

    https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/68721673/police-get-guidelines-on-investigating-forced-marriages

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12123831

    • Dukeofurl 7.1
      7 November 2019 at 10:47 am

      Thats the other big elephant in the room for arranged marriages . DOWRY

      A NZ residence visa for the male allows them to expect a hefty dowry for a female bride from India.

      Then there is the otherside of coin of young women already in NZ who are forced into arranged marriages mostly overseas

      Forced and underage marriage

      It’s not okay for your parents to force you to get married, whatever your age: it’s your right to stay at school or at work, and to choose your spouse or life partner. According to New Zealand law, both parties in a marriage or civil union must be consenting.

      Any form of marriage , no matter from what country or culture where the woman is treated as a chattel can never be acceptable.

      Mail order brides, arranged marriages , forced marriage of young women

      • Stuart Munro. 7.1.1
        7 November 2019 at 12:33 pm

        I had some Pakistani friends awhile back, who had a perfectly happy and unobjectionable arranged marriage, so it's not all horror stories. ( I interviewed them about it as part of the requirements of a teaching diploma. ) But the number of stories of exploitation call for some kind of protection, which is in fact the purpose of the existing relationship requirements in the current immigration rules.

        I expect that such changes would be regulation rather than statute, and while he's at it Lees-Galloway might wish to rid himself of some of his more egregiously non-performing officials.

  8. Michelle Gray 8
    7 November 2019 at 10:33 am

    I am no fan of shame jones but I agree with him on this issue and labour better get their shit together because they have 7 Maori seats and they know many of our people aren't happy with the immigration rates and it ain't racism its our right to speak up. Many of those people come here and tramp on our culture and then they say how come Maori are getting this and that when we are getting fuck all. They want us to change our policies to suit their culture well sorry is doesn't work like that when we go to their countries we follow there rules, laws and customs.

  9. Ad 9
    7 November 2019 at 11:22 am

    Lees-Galloway needs to be reshuffled out fast.

    Jones is doing an excellent job for his party, leadership chances, and 2020 positioning.

  10. floribunda 10
    7 November 2019 at 12:11 pm

    This is not about immigration, it is essentially a human rights issue – it is about the right of a woman to freely choose her partner.

    Until Indian women demand that right, NZ should not support the tradition of arranged marriage, just as we do not allow FGM

  11. Macro 11
    7 November 2019 at 12:47 pm

    Good grief! The comments above clearly show racism is alive and well in NZ.

    • Anne 11.1
      7 November 2019 at 1:05 pm

      Ditto! Some people need to actually read mickysavage's post.

    • OnceWasTim 11.2
      7 November 2019 at 1:13 pm

      Absolutely. And suddenly everyone seems to be an expert on arranged marriages and Dowry.

      Deal with the problem cases (probably around 10%) otherwise we all better assimilate before the rush – or vote NZ First

      Christ! Reading a lot of the above, it’s no wonder the ‘left’ and so-called progressives are so good at tearing each other apart

      • tc 11.2.1
        7 November 2019 at 2:06 pm

        Totally IMO that's a key part of NZF/national strategy. Riffing on prejudice, misinformation and ignorance and trusting in good old kiwi apathy.

        One of shonkys greatest political achievements IMO was to throw so much spin (via DP as well as himself and ministers) and drag the whole tone down so the average kiwi says 'they're all the bloody same those pollies'.

        Job well done sir shonky.

        • OnceWasTim 11.2.1.1
          7 November 2019 at 3:10 pm

          Yup.

          As someone whose broader family comprises Maori/Pakeha/Indian (mainly Sikh), and not through design, and doing my very best to avoid a discussion on 'the effects of colonisation', I have to say that most Indians are closer to the values and practices of Maori culture than they are to its colonisers. Much fucking closer!

          The double standards and hypocrisy just astound me at times.

          I thought I'd give up on TDB and see what's going on here. It's fucking depressing.

          The claims that Indians are intent on bringing the whole village, and that they'll be a burden on Nu Zull Tex Paya, when as a select committee hearing not long ago heard that those immigrants becoming a drain on social services was less than 1%

          The Dowry thing. Us real Kiwis of course prefer to be showered with gifts and stuff and things, and then to battle out who gets what in the courts, when the marriage goes tits up and who gets custody of the possessions (including the chillin).

          And then (as some 'expert' over on TDB suggests), they're all bloody mysoginistic and anti-feminist – probably on the basis of knowing one or two curry munchers that are his or her best friend.

          As a nation, we really haven't progressed that much from being a pimple on the arse end of the Earth and Our Master's Voice and farmyard have we!

          Well done that Pretty Communist JacinTa for calling our Peter Dutton.

          Whilst Shane might be fucked if he's going be told what to do by some bloody immigrant. I'll be fucked if I'm going to buy into Shane's bloated fucking ego and grandstanding. He really should get a bit honest AND over his mid-life crisis.

          • OnceWasTim 11.2.1.1.1
            7 November 2019 at 3:41 pm

            Oh! Quelle Horreur! In Breaking newz….. Jesse@ # RNZ; @ # BullshitandSpinGoingForward) tells us Our Munstry of bullshit and spin has apologised and failed us (OT).

            No surprises there. Next

          • I feel love 11.2.1.1.2
            7 November 2019 at 5:01 pm

            Brilliant comment Tim!

            • OnceWasTim 11.2.1.1.2.1
              8 November 2019 at 2:35 pm

              Well….we all know what to get him for Kirimete eh? It'd be one of those fairground concave mirrors that he could stand in front of looking a lot less of a a pudge, to practice his talking points – like "queue jumper", and "Mumbai Bollywood", and "village", and "retail politician". Wouldn't be too long before he could progress to "God I'm Gorgeous!.

              We'd probably have to pack it with a warning though. His dick might look a little bit .smaller than it actually is.

              I 'spose we could get "one of his rellies off the couch" to deliver it though, and train him in the art of worship and praising his master's superior intellect.

    • Dukeofurl 11.3
      7 November 2019 at 4:46 pm

      So you dont agree with this then- "Any form of marriage , no matter from what country or culture where the woman is treated as a chattel can never be acceptable."

      jeez the Italians , especially from the Southern part had arranged marriages after they migrated to Australia… It wouldnt be accepted now

      The new film "Promised" covers such a combinare

      "The story told in Promised is of an arranged marriage between the children of Italian immigrants in Melbourne. The deal is struck in 1953, when Robert is a young boy and Angela is an infant in a crib. Twenty-one years later, and despite the fact Angela has a boyfriend, everyone expects the arrangement to be kept."

  12. Ken 12
    7 November 2019 at 4:42 pm

    Rather than importing someone who they've never met – which is surely wide open to abuse – how about these men go over to India and marry the woman and return with a legal wife?

    • Dukeofurl 12.1
      7 November 2019 at 4:50 pm

      Duh ….They are doing exactly that …the issue is INZ requires every other non Indian couple to prove ( thats documentary proof) THAT they are in a stable relationship , AND have lived together for at least a year ( they allow both legal marriage and de facto relationships)

      • Ken 12.1.1
        7 November 2019 at 5:24 pm

        That's what I meant.

        • Dukeofurl 12.1.1.1
          8 November 2019 at 9:11 am

          No you didnt mean that . You said get a 'legal wife' . Thats always been happening , its not called arranged marriage for nothing. Its not some special rules for those just living together.

          Say you were a NZ guy/woman living in London or Singapore , meet and marry a local and want to come to NZ with new husband/wife, but if you have been married/relationship for say 3 months , its a no no, as its still 9 months to go and all the documentary proof to go with that.

      • Stuart Munro. 12.1.2
        7 November 2019 at 6:09 pm

        They take the opportunity to ask for a bit more than that (quote from Facebook):

        I watched the stress and hoops my sister went through to get her husband in here . Why should it be automatic for just a few ? Was very expensive , many trips for xrays , blood tests , police records , character references . Its huge .

  13. Drowsy M. Kram 13
    7 November 2019 at 7:22 pm

    Changing times: NZ projected % population increases by ethnic group, to 2038 from a 2013 ‘base’.

    European or Other: + 14.2%
    Maaori: + 53 %
    Pacific: + 71 %
    ME/Latin/African: +223 % (off a relatively small base)
    Chinese: +126 %
    Indian: +130 %

    http://nzdotstat.stats.govt.nz/wbos/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=TABLECODE7560

    "Ethnicity is the ethnic group or groups that people identify with or feel they belong to. Ethnicity is a measure of cultural affiliation, as opposed to race, ancestry, nationality, or citizenship. Ethnicity is self-perceived and people can belong to more than one ethnic group."

  14. peterlepaysan 14
    7 November 2019 at 11:08 pm

    Arranged marriages happen all the all over the planet. just ask the royals, anywhere.

    Arranged marriages are not forced marriages. Arranged marriages are not child marriages.

    Some fact checking is in order.

    Shane Jones ought not to be using Donald Chump as a mentor, tempting as it is.

    OBTW the whakapapa of a lot of iwi and hapu would reveal lots of arranged/agreed marriages.

    Jones is an ignoramus beating an immigration drum.

    NZF is a British biased party. It is time they grew up.

    Yes, I know the ethnicity of NZF leadership. Their support base (diminishing) are british colonialists and imperialists, (Robs mob).

  15. mpledger 15
    8 November 2019 at 12:05 am

    We heard a lot from Indian men about how the immigration policy was unfair and it was totally from the persepective of males going back to India to find a bride. What I would like to hear is the perspective of Indian women.

    There are some arranged marriages that work out well but I've witnessed/heard of (first hand/second hand) some arranged marriages there were horrific.

    • Mark 15.1
      8 November 2019 at 10:02 pm

      Not sure why arranged marriages require special dispensation. Surely the issue is living together, regardless of whether or not one has first become married.

      For an arranged marriage just get married first and live together in the home country for a year.

      For others it is not get married first, and live together in the home country for a year.

      Can't understand why the former case should somehow be privileged.

    • Rosemary McDonald 15.2
      9 November 2019 at 10:35 am

      Someone not handicapped by phone use could perhaps provide a link to the interview today between Kim Hill and the woman from Shakti.

      Okay, she's just a woman (and what would she know etc…) but calling those criticizing arranged marriage 'racist' and 'ignorant ' is perhaps a little misogynistic?

      [lprent: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/saturday/audio/2018721442/shakti-nz-founder-farida-sultana-on-arranged-marriage ]

      • Rosemary McDonald 15.2.1
        9 November 2019 at 11:47 am

        Many thanks.

        I was reading the comments here the other day….hoping within hope that Shakti would speak out on this issue.

  16. Mark 16
    8 November 2019 at 10:00 pm

    There is a massive problem with Shane Jone's comments regardless of your views on arranged marriages and exceptions being made for Indian spouses.

    Different groups will have different demands at different times. Sometimes these demands are reasonable, other times not. On this one I don't know enough about it —but I'm inclined to think that the Indian spouses should be subjected to the same rules as everyone else.

    But for Shane Jones to indulge in a barrage of racist fear mongering verbal filth should be utterly condemned – regardless of one's views on this particular issue.

    That is, one could oppose the demands of the Indian community on this one particular issue, but also utterly condemn Shane Jone's for his racist comments. No contradiction whatsoever.

  17. Invisiphilia 17
    9 November 2019 at 3:04 pm

    I agree that Shane Jones went too far with his comments, however, the government has really thrown its immigration officials under the bus with this one. The reality is that many of the applicants just don't meet the "bona fide" criteria (having an incentive to return in the case that the relationship doesn't work out) and if it's going to be fair then it will need to be applied across all cultures who have cultural marriages otherwise it will be discriminatory. There is also a huge problem in that there are "culturally arranged marriages" that are organised by the families and then those that claim to have a cultural marriage when they have gone overseas and self-selected their partner from within their own culture. There also needs to be a discussion about how the women in these situations in NZ are faring. Are they, in general, okay and happy with the situation or do they end up socially isolated away from their families back home.

  18. michelle 18
    13 November 2019 at 1:00 pm

    Gee i didn't hear any of you lot condemning bob jones for his racist ongoing rants about Maori why is that because he is rich you are scared

CommentsOpinions

Recent Comments

Recent Posts

FeedsPartyGovtMedia

  • Looking For Labour’s Vital Signs.

    Flatlining: With no evidence of a genuine policy disruptor at work in Labour’s ranks, New Zealand’s wealthiest citizens can sleep easy.PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN has walked a picket-line. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris has threatened “price-gauging” grocery retailers with price control. The Democratic Party’s 2024 platform situates it well to the left of Sir ...
    Bowalley Road
    1 hour ago
  • Forty Years Of Remembering To Forget.

    The Beginning of the End: Rogernomics became the short-hand descriptor for all the radical changes that swept away New Zealand’s social-democratic economy and society between 1984 and 1990. In the bitterest of ironies, those changes were introduced by the very same party which had entrenched New Zealand social-democracy 50 years earlier. ...
    Bowalley Road
    2 hours ago
  • Kōrero Mai – Speak to Me.

    Good morning all you lovely people. 🙂I woke up this morning, and it felt a bit like the last day of school. You might recall from earlier in the week that I’m heading home to Rotorua to see an old friend who doesn’t have much time. A sad journey, but ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    7 hours ago
  • Winning ways

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Street architecture adjustment, KolkataShare Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    9 hours ago
  • 48 seconds on a plan that would reverberate for a million years

    Despite fears that Trump presidency would be disastrous for progress on climate change, the topic barely rated a mention in the Presidential debate. Photo: Getty ImagesLong stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    10 hours ago
  • Using blunt instruments and magical thinking to ignore evidence of harm

    The abrupt cancellations and suspensions of Government spending also caused private sector hiring, spending, and investment to freeze up for the first six months of the year. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāThis week we learned:The new National/ACT/NZ First Coalition Government ignored advice from Treasury that it didn’t have to ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    10 hours ago
  • Is This A Dagger Which I See Before Me: A Review and Analysis of The Rings of Power Episode 5 (Seaso...

    Another week of The Rings of Power, season two, and another confirmation that things are definitely coming together for the show. The fifth Episode of season one represented the nadir of the series. Now? Amid the firmer footing of 2024, Episode Five represents further a further step towards excellent Tolkien ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    18 hours ago
  • In Open Seas; A Book

    The background to In Open Seas: How the New Zealand Labour Government Went Wrong:2017-2023Not in Narrow Seas: The Economic History of Aotearoa New Zealand, published in 2020, proved more successful than either I or the publisher (VUP, now Te Herenga Waka University Press) expected. I had expected that it would ...
    PunditBy Brian Easton
    22 hours ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 13

    The podcast above of the weekly ‘Hoon’ webinar for paying subscribers on Thursday night features co-hosts and talking about the week’s news with:The Kākā’s climate correspondent on the latest climate science on rising temperatures and the climate implications of the US Presidential elections; and special guests Janet ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    22 hours ago
  • Do or do not. There is no try

    1. Upon receiving evidence that school lunches were doing a marvellous job of improving outcomes for students, David Seymour did what?a. Declared we need much more of this sort of good news and poured extra resources and funding into them b. Emailed Atlas network to ask what to do next c. Cut ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 day ago
  • Dangerous ground

    The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on National's proposed changes to gut the Marine and Coastal Area Act and steal the foreshore and seabed for its greedy fishing-industry donors, and declared it to be another huge violation of ti Tiriti: The Waitangi Tribunal has found government changes to the ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Climate Change: National wants to cheat on Paris

    In 2016, the then-National government signed the Paris Agreement, committing Aotearoa to a 30 (later 50) percent reduction in emissions by 2030. When questioned about how they intended to meet that target with their complete absence of effective climate policy, they made a lot of noise about how it was ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    1 day ago
  • Treasury warned Govt lower debt limits meant less ‘productivity-enhancing investment’

    Treasury’s advice to Cabinet was that the new Government could actually prudently carry net core Crown debt of up to 50% of GDP. But Luxon and Willis instead chose to portray the Government’s finances as in such a mess they had no choice but to carve 6.5% to 7.5% off ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 day ago
  • Is the Media Complicit?

    This is a long read. Open to all.SYNOPSIS: Traditional media is at a cross roads. There is a need for those in the media landscape, as it stands, to earn enough to stay afloat, but also come across as balanced and neutral to keep its audiences.In America, NYT’s liberal leaning ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    1 day ago
  • Black Friday

    It's Black Friday, the end of the weekYou take my hand and hold it gently up against your cheekIt's all in my head, it's all in my mindI see the darkness where you see the lightSong by Tom OdellFriday the 13th, don’t be afraid.No, really, don’t. Everything has felt a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 day ago
  • Weekly Roundup 13-September-2024

    Ooh, Friday the thirteenth. Spooky! Is that why certain zombie ideas have been stalking the landscape this week, like the Mayor’s brainwave for a motorway bridge from Kauri Point to Point Chev? Read on and find out. This roundup, like all our coverage, is brought to you by the Greater ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 day ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #37 2024

    Open access notables Early knowledge but delays in climate actions: An ecocide case against both transnational oil corporations and national governments, Hauser et al., Environmental Science & Policy: Cast within the wide context of investigating the collusion at play between powerful political-economic actors and decision-makers as monopolists and debates about ‘the modern ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • What it is

    I liked what Kieran McAnulty had to say about the Treaty Principles bill this morning so much I've written it down and copied it out for you. He was saying that rather than let this piece of ordure spend six months in Select Committee, the Prime Minister could stop making such ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    2 days ago
  • A government-funded hate campaign

    Cabinet discussed National's constitutionally and historically illiterate "Treaty Principles Bill" this week, and decided to push on with it. The bill will apparently receive a full six month select committee process - unlike practically every other policy this government has pushed, and despite the fact that if the government is ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    2 days ago
  • How Substack works to take (some) craziness out of America’s elections

    I spoke with Substack co-founder yesterday, just before the Trump-Harris debate, about how Substack is doing its thing during the US elections. He talks in particular about how Substack’s focus on paid subscriptions rather than ads has made political debate on the platform calmer, simpler, deeper and more satisfying ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • Kamala Harris Did Something Unthinkable

    Hi,Yesterday me and a bunch of friends gathered in front of the TV, ate tortillas, drank wine, and watched the debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.Some of you may have joined in on the live Webworm chat where we shared thoughts, jokes and memes — and a basic glee ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    2 days ago
  • David Seymour is such a loser

    For paid subscribersNot content with siphoning off $230,000,000 of taxpayers money for his hobby projects - and telling everyone his passion is education and early childcare - an intersection painfully coincidental to the interests of wealthy private families like Sean Plunkett’s1 backers, the Wright Family, Seymour is back in the ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    2 days ago
  • Cross-party consensus: there’s no pipeline without good faith

    There’s been a lot of talk recently about a cross-party agreement to develop a pipeline for infrastructure, including transport. Last month, outgoing CRL boss Sean Sweeney talked about the importance of securing an enduring infrastructure programme. He outlined the high costs of the relentless political flip-flopping of priorities, which drives ...
    Greater AucklandBy Connor Sharp
    2 days ago
  • Voters love this climate policy they’ve never heard of

    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Karin Kirk The Inflation Reduction Act is the Biden administration’s signature climate law and the largest U.S. government investment in reducing climate pollution to date. Among climate advocates, the policy is well-known and celebrated, but beyond that, only a minority of Americans ...
    Skeptical Science
    2 days ago
  • ACC wants to administer inflation at more than double the RBNZ’s target rate

    ACC levies are set to rise at more than double the inflation rate targeted by the RBNZ. Photo: Lynn GrievesonKia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, September 12:The state-owned monopoly for accident insurance wants ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    2 days ago
  • Harris vs Trump

    We’ve been selected to rock your asses 'til midnightThis is my term, I've shaved off my perm, but it's alrightI solemnly swear to uphold the ConstitutionGot a rock 'n' roll problem? Well we got a solutionLet us be who we am, and let us kick out the jams, yeahKick out ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    2 days ago
  • Treaty Bill “a political stunt”

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon appears to have given ACT Leader David Seymour more than he has been admitting in the proposals to go forward with a Treaty Principles Bill.All along, Luxon has maintained that the Government is proceeding with the Bill to honour the coalition agreement.But that is quite specific.It ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    2 days ago
  • An average 219 NZers migrated each day in July

    Kia ora. Long stories short, here’s my top six things to note in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Wednesday, September 11:Annual migration of New Zealanders rose to a record-high 80,963 in the year to the end of July, which is more than double its pre-Covid levels.Two ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • What you’re wanting to win more than anything is The Narrative

    Hubris is sitting down on election day 2016 to watch that pig Trump get his ass handed to him, and watching the New York Times needle hover for a while over Hillary and then move across to Trump where it remains all night to your gathering horror and dismay. You're ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    3 days ago
  • National’s automated lie machine

    The government has a problem: lots of people want information from it all the time. Information about benefits, about superannuation, ACC coverage and healthcare, taxes, jury service, immigration - and that's just the routine stuff. Responding to all of those queries takes a lot of time and costs a lot ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Christopher Luxon: A Man of “Faith” and “Compassion” Speaks on the Treaty Pr...

    Synopsis: Today - we explore two different realities. One where National lost. And another - which is the one we are living with here. Note: the footnote on increased fees/taxes may be of interest to some readers.Article open.Subscribe nowIt’s an alternate timeline.Yesterday as news broke that the central North Island ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    3 days ago
  • Member’s Day

    Today is a Member's Day. First up is the third reading of Dan Bidois' Fair Trading (Gift Card Expiry) Amendment Bill, which will be followed by the committee stage of Deborah Russell's Family Proceedings (Dissolution for Family Violence) Amendment Bill. This will be followed by the second readings of Katie ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    3 days ago
  • Northern Expressway Boondoggle

    Transport Minister Simeon Brown has been soaring high with his hubris of getting on and building motorways but some uncomfortable realities are starting to creep in. Back in July he announced that the government was pushing on with a Northland Expressway using an “accelerated delivery strategy” The Coalition Government is ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    3 days ago
  • Never Enough

    However much I'm falling downNever enoughHowever much I'm falling outNever, never enough!Whatever smile I smile the mostNever enoughHowever I smile I smile the mostSongwriters: Robert James Smith / Simon Gallup / Boris Williams / Porl ThompsonToday in Nick’s Kōrero:A death in the Emergency Department at Rotorua Hospital.A sad homecoming and ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    3 days ago
  • Question Two of The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50)

    Kia ora.Last month I proposed restarting The Kākā Project work done before the 2023 election as The Kākā Project of 2026 for 2050 (TKP 26/50), aiming to be up and running before the 2025 Local Government elections, and then in a finalised form by the 2026 General Elections.A couple of ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    3 days ago
  • Why is God Obsessed with Spanking?

    Hi,If you’ve read Webworm for a while, you’ll be aware that I’ve spent a lot of time writing about horrific, corrupt megachurches and the shitty men who lead them.And in all of this writing, I think some people have this idea that I hate Christians or Christianity. As I explain ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    3 days ago
  • Inside the public service

    In 2023, there were 63,117 full-time public servants earning, on average, $97,200 a year each. All up, that is a cost to the Government of $6.1 billion a year. It’s little wonder, then, that the public service has become a political whipping boy castigated by the Prime Minister and members ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    3 days ago
  • New Models Show Stronger Atlantic Hurricanes, and More of Them

    This is a re-post from This is Not Cool Here’s an example of some of the best kind of climate reporting, especially in that it relates to impacts that will directly affect the audience. WFLA in Tampa conducted a study in collaboration with the Department of Energy, analyzing trends in ...
    Skeptical Science
    4 days ago
  • Where ever do they find these people?

    A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, is how Winston Churchill described the Soviet Union in 1939.  How might the great man have described the 2024 government of New Zealand, do we think? I can't imagine he would have thought them all that mysterious or enigmatic. I think ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    4 days ago
  • Motorway madness

    How mad is National's obsession with roads? One of their pet projects - a truck highway to Whangārei - is going to eat 10% of our total infrastructure budget for the next 25 years: Official advice from the Infrastructure Commission shows the government could be set to spend 10 ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    4 days ago
  • Our transport planning system is fundamentally broken

    Ever since Wayne Brown became mayor (nearly two years ago now) he’s been wanting to progress an “integrated transport plan” with the government – which sounded a lot like the previous Auckland Transport Alignment Project (ATAP) with just a different name. It seems like a fair bit of work progressed ...
    Greater AucklandBy Matt L
    4 days ago
  • Thou Shalt Not Steal

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

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

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

    In this podcast Selwyn Manning and I talk about what appears to be a particular type of end-game in the long transition to systemic realignment in international affairs, in which the move to a new multipolar order with different characteristics … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    5 days ago
  • The cost of flying blind

    Just over two years ago, when worries about immediate mass-death from covid had waned, and people started to talk about covid becoming "endemic", I asked various government agencies what work they'd done on the costs of that - and particularly, on the cost of Long Covid. The answer was that ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    5 days ago
  • Seymour vs The Clergy

    For paid subscribers“Aotearoa is not as malleable as they think,” Lynette wrote last week on Homage to Simeon Brown:In my heart/mind, that phrase ricocheted over the next days, translating out to “We are not so malleable.”It gave me comfort. I always felt that we were given an advantage in New ...
    Mountain TuiBy Mountain Tui
    5 days ago
  • Unstoppable Minister McKee

    All smiles, I know what it takes to fool this townI'll do it 'til the sun goes downAnd all through the nighttimeOh, yeahOh, yeah, I'll tell you what you wanna hearLeave my sunglasses on while I shed a tearIt's never the right timeYeah, yeahSong by SiaLast night there was a ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    5 days ago
  • Could outdoor dining revitalise Queen Street?

    This is a guest post by Ben van Bruggen of The Urban Room,.An earlier version of this post appeared on LinkedIn. All images are by Ben. Have you noticed that there’s almost nowhere on Queen Street that invites you to stop, sit outside and enjoy a coffee, let alone ...
    Greater AucklandBy Guest Post
    5 days ago
  • Hipkins challenges long-held Labour view Government must stay below 30% of GDP

    Hipkins says when considering tax settings and the size of government, the big question mark is over what happens with the balance between the size of the working-age population and the growing number of Kiwis over the age of 65. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāMōrena. Long stories short; here’s ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    5 days ago
  • Your invite to Webworm Chat (a bit like Reddit)

    Hi,One of the things I love the most about Webworm is, well, you. The community that’s gathered around this lil’ newsletter isn’t something I ever expected when I started writing it four years ago — now the comments section is one of my favourite places on the internet. The comments ...
    David FarrierBy David Farrier
    5 days ago
  • Seymour’s Treaty bill making Nats nervous

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

    A listing of 34 news and opinion articles we found interesting and shared on social media during the past week: Sun, September 1, 2024 thru Sat, September 7, 2024. Story of the week Our Story of the Week is about how peopele are not born stupid but can be fooled ...
    Skeptical Science
    6 days ago
  • Time for a Change

    You act as thoughYou are a blind manWho's crying, crying 'boutAll the virgins that are dyingIn your habitual dreams, you knowSeems you need more sleepBut like a parrot in a flaming treeI know it's pretty hard to seeI'm beginning to wonderIf it's time for a changeSong: Phil JuddThe next line ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies: Excerpt Six.

    The “double shocks” in post Cold War international affairs. The end of the Cold War fundamentally altered the global geostrategic context. In particular, the end of the nuclear “balance of terror” between the USA and USSR, coupled with the relaxation … Continue reading → ...
    KiwipoliticoBy Pablo
    6 days ago
  • Buried deep

    Here's a bike on Manchester St, Feilding. I took this photo on Friday night after a very nice dinner at the very nice Vietnamese restaurant, Saigon, on Manchester Street.I thought to myself, Manchester Street? Bicycle? This could be the very spot.To recap from an earlier edition: on a February night ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    6 days ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies, Excerpt Five.

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

    If you’re going somewhere, do you maybe take a bit of an interest in the place? Read up a bit on the history, current events, places to see - that sort of thing? Presumably, if you’re taking a trip somewhere, it’s for a reason. But what if you’re going somewhere ...
    Nick’s KōreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago
  • Home again

    Hello! Here comes the Saturday edition of More Than A Feilding, catching you up on anything you may have missed. Share Read more ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    1 week ago
  • Dead even tie for hottest August ever

    Long stories short, here’s the top six news items of note in climate news for Aotearoa-NZ this week, and a discussion above between Bernard Hickey and The Kākā’s climate correspondent Cathrine Dyer:The month of August was 1.49˚C warmer than pre-industrial levels, tying with 2023 for the warmest August ever, according ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago
  • The Hoon around the week to Sept 7

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Welcome to another Friday and another roundup of stories that caught our eye this week. As always, this and every post is brought to you by the Greater Auckland crew. If you like our work and you’d like to see more of it, we invite you to join our regular ...
    Greater AucklandBy Greater Auckland
    1 week ago
  • Security Politics in Peripheral Democracies; Excerpt Four.

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

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

    My conclusion last week was that The Rings of Power season two represented a major improvement in the series. The writing’s just so much better, and honestly, its major problems are less the result of the current episodes and more creatures arising from season one plot-holes. I found episode three ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago
  • Who should we thank for the defeat of the Nazis

    As a child in the 1950s, I thought the British had won the Second World War because that’s what all our comics said. Later on, the films and comics told me that the Americans won the war. In my late teens, I found out that the Soviet Union ...
    Open ParachuteBy Ken
    1 week ago
  • Skeptical Science New Research for Week #36 2024

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

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

  • Reo Māori the ‘beating heart’ of Aotearoa New Zealand

    From private business to the Paris Olympics, reo Māori is growing with the success of New Zealanders, says Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka. “I’m joining New Zealanders across the country in celebrating this year’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, which has a big range ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 hours ago
  • Need and value at forefront of public service delivery

    New Cabinet policy directives will ensure public agencies prioritise public services on the basis of need and award Government contracts on the basis of public value, Minister for the Public Service Nicola Willis says. “Cabinet Office has today issued a circular to central government organisations setting out the Government’s expectations ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • Minister to attend Police Ministers Council Meeting

    Police Minister Mark Mitchell will join with Australian Police Ministers and Commissioners at the Police Ministers Council meeting (PMC) today in Melbourne. “The council is an opportunity to come together to discuss a range of issues, gain valuable insights on areas of common interest, and different approaches towards law enforcement ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 day ago
  • New Bill to crack down on youth vaping

    The coalition Government has introduced legislation to tackle youth vaping, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “The Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Amendment Bill (No 2) is aimed at preventing youth vaping.  “While vaping has contributed to a significant fall in our smoking rates, the rise in youth vaping ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Interest in agricultural and horticultural products regulatory review welcomed

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

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

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

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

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

    With two months until the national apology to survivors of abuse in care, expressions of interest have opened for survivors wanting to attend. “The Prime Minister will deliver a national apology on Tuesday 12 November in Parliament. It will be a very significant day for survivors, their families, whānau and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Rangatahi inspire at Ngā Manu Kōrero final

    Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini kē - My success is not mine alone but is the from the strength of the many. Aotearoa New Zealand’s top young speakers are an inspiration for all New Zealanders to learn more about the depth and beauty conveyed ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 days ago
  • Driving structured literacy in schools

    The coalition Government is driving confidence in reading and writing in the first years of schooling. “From the first time children step into the classroom, we’re equipping them and teachers with the tools they need to be brilliant in literacy. “From 1 October, schools and kura with Years 0-3 will receive ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Labour’s misleading information is disappointing

    Labour’s misinformation about firearms law is dangerous and disappointing, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says.   “Labour and Ginny Andersen have repeatedly said over the past few days that the previous Labour Government completely banned semi-automatic firearms in 2019 and that the Coalition Government is planning to ‘reintroduce’ them.   ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Govt takes action on mpox response, widens access to vaccine

    The Government is taking immediate action on a number of steps around New Zealand’s response to mpox, including improving access to vaccine availability so people who need it can do so more easily, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. “Mpox is obviously a ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Next steps agreed for Treaty Principles Bill

    Associate Justice Minister David Seymour says Cabinet has agreed to the next steps for the Treaty Principles Bill. “The Treaty Principles Bill provides an opportunity for Parliament, rather than the courts, to define the principles of the Treaty, including establishing that every person is equal before the law,” says Mr Seymour. “Parliament ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government unlocking potential of AI

    Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins today announced a programme to drive Artificial Intelligence (AI) uptake among New Zealand businesses. “The AI Activator will unlock the potential of AI for New Zealand businesses through a range of support, including access to AI research experts, technical assistance, AI tools and resources, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Government releases Wairoa flood review findings

    The independent rapid review into the Wairoa flooding event on 26 June 2024 has been released, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown and Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell announced today. “We welcome the review’s findings and recommendations to strengthen Wairoa's resilience against future events,” Ms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Promoting faster payment times for government

    The Government is sending a clear message to central government agencies that they must prioritise paying invoices in a timely manner, Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Andrew Bayly says. Data released today promotes transparency by publishing the payment times of each central government agency. This data will be published quarterly ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago
  • Acknowledgement to Kīngi Tuheitia speech

    E te māngai o te Whare Pāremata, kua riro māku te whakaputa i te waka ki waho moana. E te Pirimia tēnā koe.Mr Speaker, it is my privilege to take this adjournment kōrero forward.  Prime Minister – thank you for your leadership. Taupiri te maunga Waikato te awa Te Wherowhero ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Interim fix to GST adjustment rules to support businesses

    Inland Revenue can begin processing GST returns for businesses affected by a historic legislative drafting error, Revenue Minister Simon Watts says. “Inland Revenue has become aware of a legislative drafting error in the GST adjustment rules after changes were made in 2023 which were meant to simplify the process. This ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Strong uptake for cervical screening self-test

    More than 80 per cent of New Zealand women being tested have opted for a world-leading self-test for cervical screening since it became available a year ago. Minister of Health Dr Shane Reti and Associate Minister Casey Costello, in her responsibility for Women’s Health, say it’s fantastic to have such ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document sets ambitious direction

    Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the Ministry for Regulation’s first Strategic Intentions document, which sets out how the Ministry will carry out its work and deliver on its purpose. “I have set up the Ministry for Regulation with three tasks. One, to cut existing red tape with sector reviews. Two, ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Māori Education Advisory Group established

    The Education Minister has established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners to help improve outcomes for Māori learners. “This group will provide independent advice on all matters related to Māori education in both English medium and Māori medium settings. It will focus on the most impactful ways we can lift ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Government welcomes findings of NZ Superannuation Fund review

    The Government has welcomed the findings of the recent statutory review into the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation and the New Zealand Superannuation Fund, Minister of Finance Nicola Willis says. The 5-yearly review, conducted on behalf of Treasury and tabled in Parliament today, found the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • First of five new Hercules aircraft takes flight

    Defence Minister Judith Collins today welcomed the first of five new C-130J-30 Hercules to arrive in New Zealand at a ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Base Auckland, Whenuapai. “This is an historic day for our New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and our nation. The new Hercules fleet ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Have your say on suicide prevention

    Today, September 10 is World Suicide Prevention Day, a time to reflect on New Zealand’s confronting suicide statistics, Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “Every death by suicide is a tragedy – a tragedy that affects far too many of our families and communities in New Zealand. We must do ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago
  • Action to grow the rural health workforce

    Scholarships awarded to 27 health care students is another positive step forward to boost the future rural health workforce, Associate Health Minister Matt Doocey says. “All New Zealanders deserve timely access to quality health care and this Government is committed to improving health outcomes, particularly for the one in five ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Pharmac delivering more for Kiwis following major funding boost

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed the increased availability of medicines for Kiwis resulting from the Government’s increased investment in Pharmac. “Pharmac operates independently, but it must work within the budget constraints set by the Government,” says Mr Seymour. “When our Government assumed office, New ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Sport Minister congratulates NZ’s Paralympians

    Sport & Recreation Minister Chris Bishop has congratulated New Zealand's Paralympic Team at the conclusion of the Paralympic Games in Paris.  “The NZ Paralympic Team's success in Paris included fantastic performances, personal best times, New Zealand records and Oceania records all being smashed - and of course, many Kiwis on ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago
  • Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations

    A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report.  “It will have the mandate ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago
  • Passport wait times back on-track

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    A major shake-up of building products which will make it easier and more affordable to build is on the way, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says. “Today we have introduced legislation that will improve access to a wider variety of quality building products from overseas, giving Kiwis more choice and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

Page generated in The Standard by Wordpress at 2024-09-14T03:48:48+00:00